The number of new confirmed coronavirus cases in Kenya witnessed a steady rise on Saturday with sixteen testing positive.
The Ministry of Health said 16 newly confirmed cases, bring that national total to 262. The deaths rose to twelve with two patients succumbing to the virus.
“Kenya is still on red alert. The numbers are on a steady rise. In the last 24 hours, we have doubled our testing capacity to test 1,115 samples. By now, you will have noticed that the higher the samples the higher the number of new cases,” said Mutahi Kagwe the Health Minister.
“This speaks both to the urgency to test as many Kenyans as possible, and for every Kenyan to assume the next one is positive and therefore take precautionary measures,” he added.
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Rising Community Spread
Kagwe said fifteen of the cases that tested positive are Kenyans, and one a foreigner. Twelve are males and four are females.
“None has a history of travel and none of these new cases emanated from our quarantine centers. Nine (9) are from Nairobi, five (5) from Mombasa and one (1) from Homabay Counties. They are aged between 23 and 84 years of age.”
In terms of age distribution for all the 262 cases, 0-14 year olds are eight (8), 15-29 seventy (70), 30-59 one hundred and sixty four (164) and above 60 years are twenty (20). Two hundred and thirty six (236) are Kenyans while the rest are foreign nationals.
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In terms of the spread, the Ministry disclosed that it has mapped the cases and zeroed down to the areas of origin.
Nairobi has 193 of the total 262 cases so far confirmed in Kenya which translates to 73.66 per cent of the infections.
“To bring this matter closer to those in Nairobi, iIn Nairobi for instance, we have noticed that the cases are spread between almost all estates with Kilimani (6), Pipeline (5), Karen (4), South C (4), Kawangware (3), Tassia (2), Utawala (4), Kitisuru (2), Parklands (2), Buru Buru (2) and Kibra (2) leading in the number of cases., ” Kagwe said.
Mandera has recorded six cases, Nakuru two, Siaya two and Uasin Gishu Kwale, Homa Bay and Kakamega each recording a case.
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A total of 2,609 contacts have been monitored, out of which 2,036 have been discharged. 573 contacts are being followed at the moment. A total of 11,909 samples have been tested so far.
