The Ministry of Health has reported 268 new Covid-19 cases from 2,074 samples tested in the last 24 hours.

The total number of Covid-19 cases in Kenya now stands at 6,941.

A total of 176, 659 samples have been tested so far.

Another 20 patients have been discharged from various facilities across the country.  The total recoveries now stand at 2,109.

Three more people have succumbed to the disease raising the death toll to 152.

Briefing the country on the status of Covid-19, Health CAS Dr Rashid Aman (pictured) said that 259 of the new cases are Kenyans and nine foreigners.

160 of those are male while 108 are female.

Nairobi County has reported 175 new cases, followed by Mombasa with 28, Busia- 18, Kiambu-11, Kajiado and Migori-9 each, Uasin Gishu- 8, and Machakos- six cases.

The country has now entered its fourth month since it reported its first case.

However, the spike in numbers should be a concern, as expressed by the CAS Dr Rashid Aman, who added, “In the past week, we have reported on average 222 cases per day, a situation that should concern all of us.”

Responding to Kenyans concerns on easing the lockdown restrictions, the CAS said that “these measures cannot be done away with altogether.”

“The battle ahead is tough. There is so much to be done and this can only be achieved if we pay attention to the data,” he added.

Non-communicable diseases

The Ministry has also noted that the majority of people who have succumbed to the disease have underlying conditions for example hypertension and diabetes.

At least 67,465 hypertensive patients were reported during this period.

Hence, the Mutahi Kagwe led-ministry says it has prioritised reversing non-communicable diseases,

“Covid-19 has exposed the vulnerability of persons living with non-communicable diseases and hence the Ministry in collaboration with the county governments has put up measures to ensure that non-communicable disease clinics remain operational during this period,” he said.

Aman has pleaded with affected persons to lead a healthy lifestyle and consume balanced meals/diets containing protein, vegetables, and fruits.

Since the first coronavirus case was confirmed in Kenya on March 13, the country has reported more than 6,500 cases and over 140 deaths.

According to the Ministry of Health, 10 per cent of infections are symptomatic. Over 65 percent of those infected are males and a majority are in the age group of 30-39 years.