Concern as more than 2,800 test positive for covid-19 in a day

The Ministry of Health disclosed Tuesday that 2,844 people have tested positive for coronavirus disease, from a sample size of 10,215 tested in the last 24 hours.

According to the Ministry, the latest numbers mean the positivity rate currently stands at nerve-racking 27.8%.

“From the cases, 2,561 are Kenyans while 283 are foreigners. 1,513 females and 1,331 are males. The youngest is a one-month-old infant while the oldest is 98 years.” Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said in his update on the covid situation in the country.

In terms of County distribution; Nairobi is leading with 1,297, Nakuru county follows with 233, while Kiambu registered 222 positive cases. Apart from the three countries, another 23 countries recorded double-digit figures of positive cases.

The numbers have been increasing in the last few days amid an outbreak of the Omicron variant. The total confirmed positive cases are now 267,571 and cumulative tests so far conducted are 2,943,979.

And the threat posed by the disease is evident. Aside from the 404 patients who are currently admitted to various health facilities countrywide, a total of 6,339 are under the Home-Based Isolation and Care program.

“19 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 11 of them on ventilatory support while 8 are on supplemental oxygen.”

“Another 83 patients are on supplemental oxygen and 79 of them are in the general wards. Four patients are in the High Dependency Unit (HDU).” Kagwe announced

At the same time, over the last 24 hours, one patient succumbed to the disease, it being a late death reported after conducting facility record audits in the month of December 2021.

This now pushes the cumulative fatalities related to covid-19 to 5,354

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