Covid-19: Kenya records 164 new cases in last 24 hours

Kenya has recorded 164 more Covid-19 positive cases in the last 24 hours raising the country's total caseload to 33, 794.

In a statement sent by the Ministry of Health on Saturday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe (pictured) said the ministry tested 3,009 samples taking the country’s cumulative tests to 445, 722.

Of the new cases, 158 are Kenyans while 6 are foreigners.

In terms of gender, 90 are male and 74 are female while the youngest case is six-month-old and the oldest is aged 89.

On a positive note, 156 patients recovered with 113 on the home-based care programme while 43 were discharged from various hospital bringing the total number of recoveries to 19,590.

In county distribution, Nairobi leads with 56 cases, Machakos 24, Kajiado 15, Uasin Gisgu 14, TaitA Taveta 11, Nakuru 8, Busia 6, Kiambu 5, Kilifi 5, Mombasa, 4, Turkana 4, Lamu 4, Nyandarua 2.

Kisumu, Nyeri, Makueni, Garissa Meru and Kirinyaga counties have one case each.

Nairobi sub county distribution

The 56 new cases in Nairobi are distributed as follows:  Westlands (6), Langata and Kasarani (5) cases each, Embakasi West (4), Kibera (4), Starehe (4), Dagoretti North, Embakasi East, Kamkunji Mathare, Roysambu and Ruaka (3) cases each.

In Machakos, the 24 cases are in Athi River (12), Machakos town (9) and Matungulu (3).

In Kajiado, the 15 cases are in Kajiado East (9), Kajiado North Loitokitok (3) cases each.

In Uasin Gishu, the 14 cases are in Ainabkoi (10), Turbo (2), Moiben and Turbo (1) case each.

In Taita Taveta, the 11 cases are in Voi (9), Mwatate and Wundanyi (1) case each.

In Nakuru, the 8 cases are in Naivasha (4), Nakuru East (3), and Njoro (1).

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has urged countries to unite and succeed in finding a vaccine.

“And in our situation now with more technology, and of course with more connectedness, the virus has a better chance of spreading, it can move fast because we are more connected now,” he told a briefing in Geneva.

“But at the same time, we have also the technology to stop it and the knowledge to stop it. So we have a disadvantage of globalisation, closeness, connectedness but an advantage of better technology.

“That is really key with utilising the available tools to the maximum and hoping that we can have additional tools like a vaccine.”

The WHO has always been cautious about giving estimates on how quickly the pandemic can be dealt with while there is no proven vaccine.