Covid-19 infections in Kenya rise by eight to 363

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe at a past press briefing on April 22. [File, Standard]

Eight more people have tested positive for the coronavirus, raising Kenya’s tally of cases to 363.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe told a press conference on Monday that the new cases were reported in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kwale counties from 366 tests.

The eight (four in Mombasa, three in Nairobi and one in Kwale) are aged between 13 and 65 years and had no foreign travel history.

"All of them are Kenyans. Before it used to be people who had travelled elsewhere," Kagwe said, pointing to the growing worry of community transmissions.

Five of the new infections were picked the Ministry of Health surveillance teams while the other three are from mandatory quarantine facilities.

"The Nairobi cases are from Kibra and the quarantine facility at Kenyatta University. The Kwale case is from Tanga at Lunga Lunga border with the four at Mombasa are from Mvita," Kagwe said in a statement released after the press briefing.

The health minister added that eight more people have been discharged from isolation facilities to take the number of total recoveries to 114.

So far, the contagious virus, first reported in Kenya on March 13, has claimed 14 lives.

Easing lockdown

Kagwe said his ministry was trying to see roles it could play in limiting the economic disruption occasioned by the virus outbreak.

"In addition to everything else that we are doing, we are playing our role as a ministry to see what measures we can take and assist the economy to continue going on in spite of everything," he said.

This, however, he held will be on their own terms even as they learn from the experiences of other countries.

"Countries are opening up much earlier than we think we should, others have delayed but we want to make our own measures based on our own experiences and what we have seen as a people," Kagwe noted.

He said the National Emergency Committee on Coronavirus had approved addition measures for the partial reopening of eateries and restaurants.

All restaurants shall whilst adhering to high hygiene standard will operate between 5:00 am and 04:00 pm and will limit the number of customers to four people for every 10 square metres space.

This is as dining areas will be spaced 1.5 metres apart with customers, barred from self-service, maintaining a similar distance.

"Alcohol shall only be sold with a meal in the restaurant and only be served to customers waiting to be served a meal, during the meal, or 30 minutes after the meal has ended," Kagwe said.

The full list of guidelines can be read HERE.

Also, Kagwe called on Kenyans to continue adhering to the rules and regulations set by the government, noting that the gains had reduced the cost of healthcare since other ailments had reduced.

"If we discipline ourselves and take responsibility at an individual level then it is quite possible that can begin to defeat this virus," Kagwe said.

Globally, coronavirus cases have topped 3 million with about 890,000 recoveries and 207,000 deaths as of today.