Kenya continues reporting steady rise in COVID-19 cases as total exceeds 120,000

 

Kenya continued registering a steady increase in the number of new confirmed coronavirus cases as an additional 1,274 cases were reported on Saturday taking the nationwide total to 120,163.

The capital Nairobi accounted for just about half of the total number of new cases with 640 while another 33 counties reported at least one case.

The East African country is currently experiencing a third wave of infections, according to the Health ministry, prompting the government to extend the nighttime curfew by 60 days in addition to imposing fresh restrictions, such as a ban on political gatherings for 30 days.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe recently told the public to be prepared to take care of persons who test positive at home due to the fact that hospitals countrywide were overwhelmed by a surge in hospitalizations.

According to the ministry, 845 patients are currently admitted in various health facilities countrywide, while another 2,405 patients are under the Home-Based Isolation and Care program.

Meanwhile, an overwhelming majority (120 or 97 percent) of the 123 patients who are in the intensive care unit (ICU) are either on ventilator support or supplemental oxygen.

The death toll from the pandemic in the country also continued edging closer to the 2,000 mark after 12 more people succumbed to the disease.

“Sadly, 5 deaths have been reported in the last 48 hours and another 7 from ongoing audit of county records which occurred on diverse dates pushing our cumulative fatalities to 1,994,” the ministry said.

The number of recoveries also rose by 120 to stand at 89,508, with 75 of them from various health facilities while another 45 were from the Home-Based and Isolation Care program.

The COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the country is currently underway with the elderly and vulnerable persons aged 60 years and above set to be prioritized when the country receives its next batch of vaccines in April.