Kenya Covid cases up by 141

Kenya has today recorded 141 positive Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours from a sample size of 3,571.

The total confirmed cases now stand at 100,193 as the total cumulative tests conducted are 1,162,491.

From the cases, 121 are Kenyans while 20 are foreigners.

Eighty-one are men while 60 are women.

The youngest is a one-year-old baby while the oldest is 87.

In terms of county distribution, Nairobi had 87, followed by Kilifi 8, Kwale 7, Taita Taveta 6, Siaya 5, Nyeri 4, Uasin Gishu 3, Kericho 3, Mombasa 3, among others.

Some 2017 patients recovered from the disease, said Health CS Mutahi Kagwe (pictured) in a statement on Tuesday.

From the cases, 192 were from the home-based isolation and care while 15 were from various facilities. The total recoveries now stand at 83,625.

However, six patients succumbed to Covid-19, pushing cumulative fatalities to 1,750.

There are 500 patients currently admitted in various health facilities countrywide, while 1,340 are on home-based isolation and care. Twenty-five patients are in ICU, 14 of whom are on ventilator support and 10 on supplemental oxygen.

Covid-19 infections and deaths are likely to peak in mid-March due to the reopening of schools, researchers have warned.

Kemri-Wellcome Trust report dubbed projections of Covid-19 cases and deaths following schools re-opening in January this year, projects a transmission rate of 25 per cent.

The report attributes the rise in infections to laxity in observing Covid-19 health guidelines and massive travels as learners reported back to school countrywide.

“We consider the most plausible effect of schools re-opening on January 4, to be that the transmission rate in Kenya will increase the time-varying reproductive number (Rt) by +25 per cent, and, increase mixing between social clusters that were not in contact whilst schools were closed,” reads the report.

Predictions

It is estimated that more than 25 per cent increase of infections is conditional, if all other restriction measures remain in place.

“It is possible that school openings will further increase R(t) and population mixing, and so we have examined predictions for this impact,” adds the report.

Before the reopening of schools on January 4, the Ministry of Health and Education set in place several measures to guarantee safety of learners and teachers.

Among the measures include provision of water points for hand washing, wearing of masks by learners and keeping social distance.

In addition, researchers project that at least 137,000 new cases and 116 deaths will be reported in the country by June this year.

The report also projects that there will be 1.1 million infections, by then.