Kenya's Covid-19 Cases Rise to 50

An image of medical officers in a hospital
Medical staff in protective suits in a hospital.

Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Mutahi Kagwe confirmed that 8 more patients tested positive for Covid-19 bringing the total number of cases within the country to 50.

Speaking outside Afya House on Monday, March 30, the CS noted that 1,000 people were tested on March 30.

1,474 people are being monitored, adding that 231 had been discharged after the end of their 14-day monitoring period.

"In the last 24  hours, we have tested 172 samples. A total of 84 samples from quarantined guests have been analysed. We have received confirmation of one person who has tested positive.

A Photo ofHealth CS Mutahi Kagwe during his presser where he provided the updated information regarding the Covid-19 outbreak. He was speaking outside Afya House on March 18, 2020.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe speaking outside Afya House on March 18, 2020
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"We have also tested 88 samples of close contacts of the 42 confirmed cases. Out of this number, six tested positive. An additional patient was from Agha Khan Hospital," stated Kagwe.

"The total number of confirmed cases now stands at 50," he added

He further noted that the state had embarked on tracing of contact for the 50 confirmed cases, a number which stands at 1,474. 1,211 contacts are under close monitoring.

The eight new cases were from various counties including one in Kitui, Nairobi (6) and Mombasa (1).

In total, Nairobi County has 37 Kenyan cases, Kilifi has (6) and Mombasa (3) while Kajiado, Kwale and Kitui reported one each. 26 of the patients are male while 18 are female.

"To date, we have tested 1005 persons for the coronavirus disease," he noted.

In his address, the CS noted that the disease was increasingly being transmitted through community interactions and meted additional measures to curb its spread.

"We must now raise our level of alert and intervention measures. For now, we need to protect our youth as Boda Boda riders and therefore we will require every boda boda to carry one passenger.

"The rider and passenger mast wear masks for protection. We are spreading out masks in the counties for this purpose," he remarked.

A medical practitioner dressed in protective gear at Coronavirus isolation and treatment facility in Mbagathi District Hospital on Friday, March 6, 2020.
A medical practitioner dressed in protective gear at the Coronavirus isolation and treatment facility in Mbagathi District Hospital on Friday, March 6, 2020.
Simon Kiragu
Kenyans.co.ke