Kenyas COVID-19 positivity rate at 9.8% after 834 people test positive, 23 dead

The Ministry of Health on Wednesday announced that 834 people tested positive for COVID-19 from a sample size of 8,498 tested in the last 24 hours.

This takes the total confirmed infections to 158,326 and cumulative tests so far conducted are 1,659,506, with the positivity rate at 9.8%.

From the cases, 805 are Kenyans while 29 are foreigners; 499 are males and 335 are females, while the youngest is a 14-day-old-infant and the oldest is 100 years.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, in a statement, noted that 579 patients recovered from the disease; 293 from the Home Based and Isolation Care while 286 were discharged from various health facilities countrywide.

Total recoveries now stand at 107,882; of which 78,500 are from Home Based Care and Isolation while 29,382 are from various health facilities.

CS Kagwe also however stated that 23 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours; two of them having occurred in the last 24 hours, 15 on diverse dates within the last one month and 6 being late death reports from facility record audits. This now pushes cumulative fatalities to 2,688.

The 834 cases were recorded across various counties such as; Nairobi 246, Kericho 98, Trans Nzoia 33, Nandi, Kakamega and Kisumu 30 cases each, Kitui and Uasin Gishu 28 cases each, Kilifi 25, Nakuru 23, Mombasa and Busia 22 cases each, Kiambu 21, Machakos 19, Baringo 18, Meru and Taita Taveta 16 cases each, Kisii 15, Bomet, Migori and Siaya 13 cases each, Garissa, Bungoma and Kajiado 12 cases each, Nyandarua 6, Murang’a and Vihiga 5 cases each, Homa Bay, Turkana, Laikipia, West Pokot, Marsabit and Narok 3 cases each, Nyeri 2, Tana River, Elgeyo Marakwet and Embu 1 case each.

“A total of 1,300 patients are currently admitted in various health facilities countrywide, while 6,978 patients are on Home Based Isolation and Care. 198 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 35 of whom are on ventilatory support and 134 on supplemental oxygen. 29 patients are on observation,” noted CS Kagwe.

“Another 177 patients are separately on supplementary oxygen with 170 of them in general wards and 7 in High Dependency Units (HDU).”

According to the CS, 853,081 people have so far been vaccinated against the COVID-19 disease countrywide.

Out of these 494,278 are aged 58 years and above; health workers are 155,294; teachers are 131,905 while security officers are 71,604.

He further added that, as of April 26, 2021, a total of 1,099,000 doses had been distributed to the regional depots countrywide only 21,000 doses at the Kitengela Central Vaccines stores.

The distribution is as follows: Nairobi (393,000), Eldoret (129,000), Nakuru (117,000), Kisumu (108,000), Nyeri (84,000), Kakamega (81,000), Mombasa (66,000), Military and other government ministries (57,000), Meru (39,000) and Garissa/Mandera (25,000).

Nairobi leads the top five counties that have the highest number of vaccinated persons at 261,581; followed by Nakuru with 56,712; Kiambu with 45,364; Uasin Gishu at 40,739; and Nyeri with 33,233.

The counties with the lowest numbers of persons vaccinated to date include Garissa (2,016), Isiolo (1,452), Tana River (737), Lamu (661) and Marsabit (599).