Covid-19: Kenya reports 127 new cases as recoveries rise to 873

Summary

• Dr Aman announced that 24 more people were discharged from hospitals bringing recoveries tally to 873. 

By BERNADINE MUTANU

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Kenya on Tuesday reported 127 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number of infections to 2,
989, the Ministry of Health said.
Giving the Ministry of Health daily updates on coronavirus infections on Tuesday, Health Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman said that out of 2,247 samples collected from across the county over the last 24 hours, 124 Kenyans and three foreigners tested positive for the virus.
Nairobi County has the highest number of infections at 62 followed by Mombasa (34), Busia (14), Kiambu (4), Kilifi (4), Kwale (4), Machakos (4) and Uasin Gishu (1).
Dr Aman announced that 24 more people were discharged from hospitals bringing recoveries tally to 873.
Three Covid-19 related deaths were recorded bringing the total number of fatalities to 88, Dr Aman said.
The Health official also said that 74 healthcare workers have been infected with the virus since March and 19 are currently hospitalised at different facilities across the country.

At the same briefing, Dr Aman warned against stigmatisation of Covid-19 patients, which he said will have serious repercussions.
"Stigma undermines efforts aimed at testing and treating the disease. Stigma drives the disease underground," he said.

“Our shared vulnerability to the virus should be a source of solidarity, it is the virus which is the enemy, not people with Covid-19 or those affected by it,” said Dr Aman. He added that no one is free of the virus until “all of us are free”.

Dr Aman noted that the infections are likely to increase in the next few days, as we get to three months since the first case was announced in the country.

As the world marks 12 weeks since the World Health Organization declared the new coronavirus a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, Kenya’s infections have continued to grow, Dr Aman said.

“We are almost hitting the 3,000 mark. Our epidemiological curve is rising sharply in many of our regions implying that going forward, we are likely going to record increasing numbers of positives and more people requiring clinical management,” he said.

In the first eight days of June, a total of 900 positive cases have been recorded from 19,461 samples, he said.

Compared to the first eight days of May when only 225 positive cases from 8,872 sample were recorded, the curve is rising, he noted.

According to Dr Aman, the situation will be made better if people strictly follow measures that have been imposed to control the spread of the virus.

He noted that the key weapons for fighting the disease remain hand washing, personal hygiene, wearing masks and avoiding large gatherings.

“They have worked in other places and adhering to them can suppress the curve or flatten it” he said.