Covid-19: Kenya confirms two more deaths and 29 new cases

Kenya has confirmed 29 more cases of the coronavirus, bringing the national tally to 110.

The government has tested 662 samples within the last 24 hours, of which 29 turned out positive.

28 of those are Kenyans and one is a Congolese national.

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe has also announced that two more people who were in quarantine have died from the disease.

One patient died in Nairobi County and the other in Mombasa.

The total number of coronavirus deaths in the country is now at three.

Of the 29 new cases, 13 are male while 16 female.

The CS said that 23 who tested positive were already in quarantine while 6 were in isolation units.

"23 of the confirmed cases were detected in the designated quarantine facilities while six are from suspected cases in isolation units. The ages of the confirmed cases range between ages 16-64," Kagwe said.

The CS also announced that Kilifi Deputy Governor Gideon Saburi has fully recovered from the coronavirus, having tested negative to three tests.

‘’The deputy governor has been declared fit after being subjected to three tests all of which turned negative. We will now let the law take its natural course,” Kagwe said.

He warned that the cases are going to rise exponentially in the coming days, asking Kenyans to remain calm and follow the set guidelines by the Health Ministry.

"Remain calm, I do not wish to scare you. This number is going to rise and rise exponentially."

Stiffer measures

As such, the government has announced tougher measures to curb the spread of the pandemic.

It has discouraged the mass movement of people especially those in Nairobi to upcountry. Only cargo food trucks are allowed to move “in order to protect the food chain in Nairobi”. All tuk tuk and matatu drivers have been ordered to wear masks going forward. “We have begun local production of the face masks & PPE’s. Masks will be distributed through counties and association chairpersons,” CS Kagwe said. The Government has also ordered that the hiring of 5,000 skilled health workers to begin with immediate effect within the country, with the aim of finalising hiring within the next seven days. "An additional 6000 health workers will be in place to fight the coronavirus."

He further urged Kenyans to be serious as the spread ravages across the globe.

“We must change behaviors and attitude to cut the transmission of the virus. Had we not placed people under mandatory quarantine when we did, the story would be different,” he added.

As stands, the pandemic has infected about 1 million people and claimed lives of over 47,000 worldwide.

Kagwe also condemned people on social media mocking the government’s efforts in the case of publicising the two recovered cases, Brenda and Brian.

He posed: “The situation in our country is not getting better, it’s getting worse. Instead of people re-energizing the efforts of the two who have recovered. In so doing, you have trivialized our efforts and trivialised the two Kenyans. You have branded our efforts a PR exercise. Really? A PR exercise?”

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health announced that Kenya’s first and third Covid-19 patients had fully recovered.

The patients, Brenda Cherotich and Brian Orinda narrated their journeys to recovery to President Uhuru Kenyatta.

President Uhuru praised Brenda for her courage in recognising that she had a responsibility not just to herself but to the country too.

As of yesterday, the country had tested over 300 samples in 24 hours, out of which 22 turned positive for Covid-19.

Ag. Director-General Dr. Patrick Amoth said that all patients were responding well to treatment except one who was in critical condition in the ICU at Aga Khan Hospital.

The government also pleaded with Nairobi city county not to disconnect water because of water bills and that KPLC be patient with Kenyans.