Death toll hits 100 as 152 more test positive

The death toll from coronavirus hit 100 as 152 other Kenyans tested positive for the deadly respiratory disease.

This was after four more Covid-19 patients died, according to a ministry of Health briefing yesterday.

However, the case fatality rate for Kenya remained low - below three per cent - which is fair compared to other regions across the world which have reported fatality rates of up to six per cent.

The deaths came exactly three months after Covid-19, which originated from Chinese city of Wuhan last year, was reported in Kenya on March 13.

“To us, every death is a tragedy. The number of those who have succumbed to the disease point to the importance of the containment measures we have put in place,” said Health Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman.

Compared to other areas when they first hit 100 death toll mark, Kenya seems to be doing better in containing the disease.

For example, after reporting its first case in January 25, Australia Covid-19 deaths hit 100 on May 20. By then the country had 7,068 confirmed cases.

British Columbia in Canada hit the 100 deaths mark on April 20 after reporting the first case on March 5.

Dr Aman yesterday said the country is yet to hit its peak and experts suggest that as the days move, Kenya could be inching closer to it.

He noted that the virus has established itself in the community with now 89 per cent of the cases (3, 106) being from local transmission while the rest (351) are imported.

Nairobi is leading with 1, 546 cases of coronavirus, accounting for 44. 7 per cent of all the reported infections. Mombasa is second with 1,020 representing 30 per cent followed by Busia with 308 cases. Kajiado has 106 cases.

Meanwhile, 25 people who traveled from Mombasa to Siaya to bury a relative have reportedly been quarantined.

The Sunday Standard yesterday learnt that the 25 had accompanied the body of the late Evans Otieno, a trade unionist who died in Tononoka, Mombasa, after an illness.

Those being held at Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) in Siaya include the deceased’s widow Ann Wekesa and her three children.

The group had ferried the body for burial at Ndira village in Sakwa when health officials and the police asked them to report to the KMTC. Authorities said they had to be quarantined reportedly because they did not have Covoid-19 free certificates.

But county Director of Public Health Kennedy Orwenjo said the 25 had not been put into quarantine as they were still being processed and screened to establish whether or not they should be quarantined.

“Yes, the team that came from Mombasa is here at the KMTC. We are still trying to determine whether they meet the threshold of being quarantined for 14 days,” said Orwenjo

Sources said the mourners were rounded up and taken to the centre after it emerged they had no Covid-19 test certificate and that a medical report for the deceased did not state the cause of death.

It is also alleged that the mourners only had a chief’s letter from Tononoka.