Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Wednesday, March 17, announced that 1,279 people had tested positive for Covid-19, out of a sample size of 7,450 tested in the last 24 hours.
The total confirmed positive cases now stand at 116,310 and the total tests conducted so far are 1,387,440. From the cases 1,218 are Kenyans while 61 are foreigners. 723 are males and 556 are females . The youngest is
a two - month - old infant while the oldest is 96 .
CS Kagwe noted that the country is experiencing a steady increase in the cases due to the third wave. He said that 200 people have succumbed to Covid-19 since January as he reiterated President Uhuru Kenyatta's directives on Covid-19 protocols while issuing new emergency measures including:
1) Counties immediately to convene county task forces to assess containment measures of the virus within the region.
2) Counties to open all isolation facilities in preparedness for immediate use.
3) Counties to enforce all public health measures and penalize those flouting the rules.
4) No feasting to be allowed at funerals and family members should not exceed 100. All funerals must happen within 72 hours.
5) The taskforce should ensure homebased isolation and homebased care facilities for covid-19 patients are enhanced.
6) All hospitals to quickly expand ICU facilities and deploy resources to the various hospitals.
"We are urging our hospitals to quickly expand their ICU facilities. We have asked the county taskforce to identify areas we can convert to isolation facilities," he stated
7) Law enforcement officers to ensure the Covid-19 directives are adhered to by all social events. He added that some joints within counties were flouting the regulations by staying open past curfew hours.
"There were accusations that some people with influence were influencing joints to remain open past curfew," Kagwe stated.
8) Kenyans above 60 years will be included in the ongoing first phase of the Covid-19 vaccination
CS Kagwe urged Kenyans to cooperate with the guidelines in order to ensure that the country overcomes the deadly global virus.
"Our action will determine how fast we sink or swim as an intertwined people. I urge Kenyans to quickly revamp our resolve and be determined to fight the third wave," he stated.
According to the health ministry, a total of 20,000 people have been vaccinated since last week. Kagwe affirmed that all He stated that all patients will need a second dose for the vaccine to be fully effective.
