Kenya’s COVID-19 positivity rate at 13.3% after 619 cases, 31 deaths recorded

The Ministry of Health on Monday announced that 619 people tested positive for COVID-19 from a sample size of 4,647 tested in the last 24 hours.

The positivity rate is now 13.3%, with total confirmed infections rising to 229,628 and cumulative tests so far conducted are 2,316,674.

From the cases 606 are Kenyans while 13 are foreigners; 311 are females and 308 are males, while the youngest is a three-year-old baby and the oldest is 93 years.

The ministry also said 1,437 patients recovered from the coronavirus, with 1,318 from the Home-Based Isolation and Care program while 119 were discharged from various health facilities countrywide. Total recoveries are 213,473.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, in the statement to newsrooms, said 31 patients succumbed to the disease, all of them being late deaths reported after conducting facility record audits in July and August 2021. This pushes the cumulative fatalities to 4,528.

The cases were distributed across various counties namely; Nairobi 247, Kiambu 166, Nakuru 30, Kilifi 29, Uasin Gishu 29, Kitui 23, Wajir 11, Machakos 10, Murang’a 8, Embu 8, Taita Taveta 7, Garissa 7, Nyeri 6, Nandi 5, Mombasa 4, Bomet 3, Bungoma 3, Elgeyo Marakwet 3, Kajiado 3, Kakamega 3, West Pokot 2, Laikipia 2, Makueni 2, Meru 1, Siaya 1, Trans Nzoia 1, Kericho 1, Homa Bay 1, Turkana 1, Baringo 1 and Busia 1.

“A total of 2,004 patients are currently admitted in various health facilities countrywide, while 8,292 are under the Home-Based Isolation and Care program. 170 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 99 of whom are on ventilatory support and 71 on supplemental oxygen,” noted CS Kagwe.

“No patient is under observation. Another 804 patients are separately on supplemental oxygen with 741 of them in general wards and 63 in High Dependency Units (HDU).”

CS Kagwe also added that a total of 2,412,209 vaccines had been administered across the country as of August 22, 2021.

Of these, he said, total first doses were 1,631,022 while second doses were 781,187. The uptake of the second dose among those who received their first dose is at 47.9% with the majority being males at 55% while females were at 45%. Proportion of adults fully vaccinated was 2.9%.

The uptake of the second dose by Priority Groups is as follows: Aged 58 years and above 235,064; Others 232,357; Health Workers 130,862; Teachers 117,979; while Security Officers were 64,925.