Kenya's Covid-19 cases pass 9,000 mark with new daily high of 473

LIVE: Covid-19 update by CS Kagwe

What you need to know:

  • CS Kagwe began his address by honouring Dr Doreen Adisa Lugaliki, who died of the virus on Thursday night. She was a doctor at the Nairobi South Hospital.
  • The minister who has been touring counties to assess their levels of preparedness, also reported that 76 more patients had been discharged raising the total to 2,733.
  • The number of fatalities also increased, following the deaths of eight other patients, raising the total to 181.

The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Kenya has risen to 9,448 as 473 more people have tested positive for the virus.

Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe made the announcement in a tour of Kilifi County on Friday, noting that this was a new daily high for Kenya. Four hundred and forty seven cases of the virus were reported on Thursday.

CS Kagwe reiterated his warning to the public - that the number of infections will continue to increase, especially with the lifting of the movement ban, if they downplay the disease and disregard measures for preventing its further spread.

CS Kagwe, who has been touring counties to assess their levels of preparedness, also reported that 76 more patients had been discharged, raising the total to 2,733.

The number of fatalities also increased, following the deaths of eight other patients, raising the total to 181.

The new patients were found following the testing of 6,979 samples, which raised the total of samples tested in the country so far to 206,584.

Four hundred and sixty eight of them were Kenyans and five foreigners. The youngest was a year old and the eldest 90.

Nairobi accounted for 316 of the new cases, Mombasa 43, Kiambu 25, Machakos 23, Busia 11, Kajiado 12, Migori eight and Uasin Gishu five.

Kisumu recorded four, Kiifi, Nakuru and Lamu three each, Taita Taveta two and Marsabit, Kericho, Trans Nzoia, Turkana and Laikipia one each.

MEDICAL WORKERS

CS Kagwe began his address by honouring Dr Doreen Adisa Lugaliki of Nairobi South Hospital, who died of the virus on Thursday night.

She was the first Kenyan doctor to succumb to the virus.

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of a medical doctor. She contracted the virus while working and was admitted to Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi where she passed away," he said and asked the public to observe a minute of silence in her honour.

In a message on Twitter following the doctor's death, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) said, "We reiterate  and remind GoK and all private health facilities that the welfare, occupational safety and health of frontline workers is a non-negotiable minimum."

The ministry reported that a total of 292 health workers have been infected with the disease since it was first reported in Kenya in March.

Dr Patrick Amoth, the Health ministry's acting director-general, said 160 of them were female and 132 male, the reason being that most of the nurses in the country are female.

CRITICAL PATIENTS

Dr Amoth also said that out of the active cases of Covid-19 in Kenya, 44 were being treated in intensive care units (ICU).

He said 22 of the patients were on ventilator support and the other 22 on supplemental oxygen.

He also said that Kenya’s fatality was 1.9 per cent as of July 10, compared to a global average of 6.7 per cent.

CS Kagwe also reported that Kenya now has 25 testing laboratories across the country and that 42 out of the 47 counties have confirmed cases of Covid-19.

He said that the capital, Nairobi, remained in the lead with 5,188 cases and that Mombasa followed with 1,720.

Kilifi county was ranked 10th with 71 infections.