Coronavirus - Kenya: Concern as cases of Covid-19 rises Nairobi, Sunday June 28, 2020

Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS),Dr. Mercy Mwangangireportedthatthecountry’stotal case loadnowstands at 6,070out of165,196 samples,tested so far.

All the positive cases are Kenyans, except threewho are foreigners,with159 being males and 100 females. Theyoungestcase isan 8 month old infant and the oldest is 92 years.

“Unlesswestepup compliance of the containment measures,this virusposes a potential threat of over-runningour healthcare facilities, the CAS noted.

After thefirst case wasreportedin themonth of March,78 peopleturnedpositiveout of3,419 samples, inApril,out of19,108samplestested328 tested positiveandin the month of May1615people turnedpositiveout of57,527 samples.

“In the month of June, up to today, 85,142 samples have been tested, and 4,049 people have tested positive. From these figures, it is evidently clear that the number of those testing positive has been on a sharp increase,”the CASsaid.

She called on theCountiestomove with speed and finalize their level of preparedness considering the responsibility of managing COVID-19 patients, has shifted to the counties.

Out of today’s259 positive casesNairobihasthe highest number at127,Mombasa,39,Kiambu,22, Machakos,16, Busia11, Makueni,nine,Nakuru,nine,UasinGishu,nine,Kilifi,five,Kajiado,three, Kisumu,(twoLamu,twoGarissatwo, Marsabit,two, and Kwale,onecase.

Nairobi cases are fromWestlands,31, Dagoretti North,22, Makadara,12,Embakasi East, and Langata,11cases each, Starehe,seven, Roysambu,six, Kasarani,five, Embakasi South, Kamukunji, and Kibra,fourcases each, Embakasi West,three, Embakasi Central, Embakasi North and Mathare,twocases each, Dagoretti South,onecase.

In Mombasa, the 39 cases are fromspread inLikoni, 13, Mvita,eight,Changamwe,seven,Jomvusix, Nyali,fourand Kisauni, one) case each. In Kiambu, the 22, cases are from Thika,eight, Kiambaa,six, Kiambu townfour, Juja, Kabete, Lari and Ruiru, onecase each.

In Machakos, the 16 cases are from Athi River,15and Machakos Town,onecase. In Busia all the 11, cases are from Teso North, while theninecases in Makueni, are from Kibwezi West,sevenand Kibwezi, East,two.

In Nakuru,nine, cases are from Naivasha,four, Nakuru East,threeand Rongai,two. In Uasin Gishu, thenine, cases are from Ainabkoi,three, Kapseret, and Turbotwocases each, Moiben, and Soy,onecase each.

In Kilifi, thefive, cases are from, Kaloleni and Kilifi South,twocases each and Malindi,one.In Kajiado, the cases are in Kajiado North,twoand Kajiado Central,one. The cases in Kisumu, are all from Kisumu Central, while thetwocases in Lamu, are from Lamu West. In Garissa, the cases are from Garissa Town, whilein Marsabit, the cases are from Saku and the case in Kwale, is from Msambweni.

Lamu,isthe latest county to report a case, bringing the total number of counties with COVID-19 cases to 41.

Thegovernmentalso announcedthat35patientshave been dischargedfrom various hospitals bringing the total number of recoveries to 1,971.Shealso notedthattwomore patientshave succumbed to the disease, bringing the total number of those who have succumbed to 143.

TheActing Director GeneralforHealth,Dr. Patrick Amothadded that thegovernmenthas agreed on sixparametersthat will determine whetherthe containment measureswill beliftedor not.

Thefirstparameteris theemergency preparedness at County level especially the establishment ofrapid response teams to deal with casesastheyarise. Thesecondistheenhancementofcase detection and management,andthird pillar isonriskcommunication.”We have advised theGovernors todialogue with their people on counties andcommunicatewith them aboutCovid-19,”he said.

Thefourthpillaris onLaboratory testing.Currently the country has 28 labs spread across 12 counties butthey need to beenhanced further, he added.

The fifth componentisoncontainment measures, and thesixthone isoninfection preventionandcontrol measures with a focus to shield the elderly and vulnerable.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.