Health Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman confirmed that 22 more people tested positive for Covid-19 bringing the total number of cases within the country to 1,214
Speaking at Afya House, Nairobi, on Saturday, May 23, the CAS confirmed that a total of 1,108 people had been tested in the previous 24 Hours.
The number of those who have succumbed to Covid-19 rose to 51 people after one more fatality with a total of 59, 260 samples have been tested since March 2020.
17 of the 22 who tested positive were male while 5 were female. Nairobi reported 10 cases and Mombasa (9) with Kwale, Nakuru and Taita Taveta recording one case each.
Three more patients were discharged after recovering bringing total recoveries to 383.
Aman acknowledged that the directives issued by the state to partially lockdown parts of the country had affected residents but hailed Kenyans for complying with them noting that most were wearing masks and maintaining social distance.
"I want to reiterate the importance of targeted testing. It is aimed at identifying those of us who are infected. If we do not know where the virus is, it will be difficult to treat it
"Once more, there are no financial concerns for those who turn positive and the costs will be taken care of by the government," stated Aman.
Addressing the issue of truck drivers, Aman noted that a mobile lab was being set up at the Namanga border to shorten the turn around time that was responsible for congestion at the border.
"As I speak, the mobile lab is at Namanga and is being set up. We hope that we will be able to shorten the turnaround time so that we do not hold the truckers there for longer.
"We have also entered a protocol agreement with Tanzania that we ensure that all truckers crossing will come with Covid-19 free certificate from their point of origin," added the CAS.
Aman also congratulated Health Director-General Patrick Amoth who was elected as the vice-chair of the World Health Organisation (WHO) executive board for a 2-year-term.
