Kenya’s COVID-19 positivity rate at 9.4% after 341 cases recorded; 11 deaths

The Ministry of Health on Thursday announced that 341 people tested positive for COVID-19 from a sample size of 3,646 tested in the last 24 hours, the positivity rate now being 9.4% with total confirmed infections rising to 169,697.

From the cases, 329 are Kenyans while 12 are foreigners; 174 are males and 167 females, while the youngest is a two-month-old infant and the oldest is 101 years.

The cases were distributed across various counties, Kisumu leading with 57 cases, Nairobi 48, Siaya 36, Mombasa and Kericho 22 cases each, Kirinyaga 19, Homa Bay 14, Nyamira 12, Kilifi, Bungoma and Nandi 9 cases each, Migori, Kiambu and Kisii 8 cases each, Nakuru 7, Uasin Gishu and Meru 6 cases each, Kakamega, Murang’a and Nyeri 5 cases each, Bomet, Vihiga, Wajir and Trans Nzoia 4 cases each, Tharaka Nithi 3, Machakos 2, Turkana, Isiolo, Kajiado, Kitui and Tana River 1 case each.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe also revealed that 144 patients recovered from the disease; 96 from the Home Based and Isolation Care, while 48 were discharged from various health facilities countrywide.

This takes the country’s total coronavirus recoveries to 115,988.

CS Kagwe however noted that 11 people succumbed to the disease, all of them being late deaths reported after conducting facility record audits, pushing the cumulative fatalities to 3,108.

“A total of 1,067 patients are currently admitted in various health facilities countrywide, while 4,680 patients are under the Home Based Isolation and Care Program,” he stated.

“104 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 20 of whom are on ventilatory support and 60 on supplemental oxygen. 24 patients are under observation.

Another 89 patients are separately on supplemental oxygen with 82 of them in general wards and 7 in High Dependency Units (HDU).”

The CS further stated that a total of 963,241 persons have so far been vaccinated against the COVID-19 disease countrywide.

Of these, he added,  292,001 are aged 58 years and above; others 273,450; health workers 164,913; teachers 151,568; while security officers 81,309.