Kenya has recorded 136 more Covid-19 positive cases in the last 24 hours, out of which two people were found to have the highly infectious variant that was first recorded in South Africa.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, January 20, Acting Health Director-General Patrick Amoth noted that the two cases of the new mutation were picked up by scientists in Kilifi. Both cases were foreigners. The country's total caseload rises to 99,444.
He affirmed that the new variant is 50 percent more transmissible hence pose a greater risk to Kenyans. Amoth pointed out that the 2 foreigners travelled back to their respective countries as advised by the Ministry.
Unfortunately, two more patients have succumbed to the disease bringing the cumulative fatalities to 1,736.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe also announced that 3,787 samples had been tested over the period. The country has so far conducted 1,134,494 Covid-19 tests.
Of the positive cases, 85 are male and 51 are female. The youngest is a two-year-old child while the oldest is 98.
176 patients have recovered from the disease, 162 being from the Home-Based Care Program, while 14 have been discharged from various hospitals. The total recoveries now stand at 82,654.
Currently, there are 686 patients admitted to various health facilities countrywide and 1,625 on Home Based Isolation and Care.
30 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 14 of whom are on ventilatory support, and 14 on supplemental oxygen. Two are on observation.
Another 11 patients are separately on supplementary oxygen with 10 of them in the general wards.
There is one patient in the High Dependency Unit (HDU).
Nairobi still recorded the highest number of cases with 69, followed by Homabay 11, Mombasa 11, Meru 10, Kisumu 8, Kiambu 5, Kilifi 4, Nakuru 3, Kajiado 3, Siaya 3, Kakamega 2, Machakos 2, Taita Taveta, Garissa, Turkana Bungoma and Narok recording 1 case each.
CS Kagwe noted that the positivity rate, which is below five percent, is a good sign that the virus could be on a downward trajectory. He however pointed out that the Ministry would not ease the Covid-19 protocols.
"We are not going to ease any measures right now. We intend to beef up surveillance. The curfew has played a big role in the numbers going down," he stated.
He attributed major progress to the curfew rules implemented by President Uhuru Kenyatta. He noted that the Ministry is ready to carry out the vaccination across the country.
