Covid-19: Kenya records 188 positive cases in last 24 hours

Kenya has recorded 188 more Covid-19 positive cases in the past 24 hours raising the country's total caseload to 36,157.

In a statement released by the Ministry of Health on Sunday, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe (pictured) said the new cases are from 3,092 samples which push the country’s cumulative tests to 497, 652.

In terms of gender, 149 are male and 39 are female while the youngest case is two-year-old and the oldest is aged 78.

Of the new cases, 183 are Kenyans while five are foreigners.

On a positive note, 296 patients recovered with 28 on the home-based care programme while 268 were discharged from various hospitals bringing the total number of recoveries to 23,067.

On a sad note, Kagwe said 3 patients died from Covid-19 bringing Kenya’s fatalities to 622.

Mombasa leads with 43, Turkana 29, Trans Nzoia 27, Nairobi 23, Kiambu 10, Nakuru 7, Kajiado 7, Uasin Gishu 5, Embu 5, Kisumi 4, Kericho, 4, Taita Taveta 4, Kitui 2,  Nyeri 2, Laikipia 2, Meru 2 while Machakos,Lamu, Samburu, Tharaka Nithi, Garissa and Kakamega 1 cases each.

The 43 cases in Mombasa are from Kisauni (15), Mvita (9), Changamwe and Jomvu (6) cases, Nyali (5) and Likoni (2).

In Turkana, all the 29 cases are from Turkana Central

In Tran Nzoia, the 27 cases are from Saboti (21), Kiminini (4) and Endebes (2)

In Nairobi the 23 cases are from Dagoretti North (4), Kibra and Langata (3) cases each, Embakasi Central and Westlands (2) cases each, Dagoretti South, Embakasi South, Embaksi North, Embakasi West, Kamkunji, Kasarani, Makadara, Ruaaraka and Stare (1) case each.

Level of preparedness

The new cases come as it emerged yesterday that only seven counties have attained the 300 isolation bed capacity for Covid-19 preparedness, raising questions on how the Sh5 billion allocated for the exercise was utilised.

A report dated August 6, which assessed the level of preparedness, shows Garissa, Nairobi, Machakos, Mandera, Mombasa, Kakamega and Makueni are the only counties to have achieved the 300-bed capacity requirement.

The report states that there are several counties with ongoing construction works to increase their health infrastructure to meet the minimum requirements within the short term (30 days) and medium to long term (90 days).

“In addition to the health facility isolation beds, additional bed capacity of 4,015 isolation beds have also been identified from non-health facilities. This would cumulatively avail a bed capacity of 11,738 isolation beds for the pandemic,” it adds.

The report also found the counties to have inadequate staff.