Kenya's Covid-19 cases rose to 11,673 on Thursday, July 16, after 421 individuals tested positive in the preceding 24 hours.
In a press briefing in Nakuru County, Health CS Mutahi Kagwe stated that the 421 new cases were confirmed after testing 3,895 samples bringing the total samples tested in the country so far to 229,390.
Out of the positive cases, 409 are Kenyans while 12 are foreigners. 297 are males, and 124 female with the youngest being a one-year-old child while the oldest is a 93year-old man.
An additional 570 patients were have recovered, raising the total number of recoveries in the country to 3,638, the highjest number in a single day. Nakuru recorded over 30 recoveries.
512 recoveries were from those under the home-based care while 58 had been discharged from hospitals. Kagwe also noted that men were more susceptible to contracting the virus as most did not don face masks as compared to women.
So far, Nairobi County is leading with most infections at 6491 followed by Mombasa 1783 and Kiambu 640. 42 Counties have recorded a case so far.
"We believe Kenyans have attained a level of care and understanding. We continue to beg you that you stay alive," he stated.
The CS also noted that the County Government of Nakuru had surpassed 300-bed capacity and was aiming at 1,000 beds with over 500 healthcare workers undergoing training.
Unfortunately, 8 more patients succumbed to the disease bringing total fatalities from March 13, 2020, to 217.
"The government is currently working towards 100% community healthcare coverage," stated Kagwe noting that some 31,000 people would be hired to effect the 2019-2024 Primary Healthcare Strategic Policy.
Speaking during the presser, Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui disclosed that Nakuru had recorded 150 Covid-19 cases since the virus hit the country in March with a majority of the affected being truck drivers.
He noted that the county had put in place ways to curb the spread of Covid-19 by installing 500 water tanks around the county as well as decongesting bus parks.
He urged CS Kagwe to enable them have a well equipped testing center to serve the county's population of 2.1 million and thanked Equity CEO James Mwangi for donating Ksh3 million worth of PPEs in the county.
Globally, the virus has claimed more than 580,000 lives with infections hitting a high of 13.4 million people. Over 7.4 million people have recovered from the virus.
Below is the video of the presser:
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