Kenya has recorded 11 more cases of the Coronavirus, bringing its total number of infections to 208, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has announced.
Speaking during the daily update on Monday at Afya House, Kagwe (pictured) said out of the 11, four were from mandatory quarantine centres while seven were picked by the ministry’s surveillance team.
“In the last 24 hours, we have tested 674 samples and out of the number, 11 have tested positive for Covid-19,” he said.
Of the new cases, four are from Mandera, three from Mombasa while Nairobi has two with Nakuru and Machakos registering one case each.
Kagwe said all the new cases are Kenyans, four of them having travel history to the United Arabs Emirates.
In gender, the CS said six of the new cases are male while five are female with their ages ranging between one year and 42.
Kagwe also announced that 15 individuals recovered from the Coronavirus disease after testing negative following numerous tests bringing the number recoveries to 40.
The CS also announced that one Kenyan has died of Covid-19 in the last 24 hours bringing the total number of the deaths in the country to nine.
The CS said 2,306 samples have been monitored with 1,687 discharged while 619 are being followed.
On the Siaya case and the subsequent burial that has elicited uproar from Kenyans, CS Kagwe said the government was consulting with the county government to address the issue.
Kagwe, however, told Kenyans that should the country’s situation worsen, the disposal of the victims’ bodies will not be as per the culture.
He told Kenyans must accept that if such a time comes, the government’s main concern will be to protect lives while disposing of the bodies.
“Our people must be prepared to accept that we must protect the living while disposing of the bodies of Covid-19 victims.”
Kagwe also defended MPs over claims that they are silent as the country fight the virus, saying the MPs are very active in the war.
“We are have engaged the two Houses on how they will provide funding and the engagements have bolstered our efforts,” he said.
Kagwe said contrary to the reports that they are not part of the fights, MPs are active and have contributed immensely in the fight against the virus.
Kagwe dismissed as untrue reports by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) that about 70 medics have been quarantined as a result of the Covid-19
“It baffles me that there are people who want more Kenyans than the number given government to be sick,” he said.
He urged Kenyans to ignore the reports and instead continue observing the government’s directives to combat the disease.
“People will have their own fantasies why they would have to put down others, let me not dwell too much on that because I will be like them.”