COVID-19 death toll rises to 52

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 25 – Coronavirus-related deaths increased to fifty-two on Monday after one more patient succumbed to the virus, the health ministry announced. 

The death comes a day after a 48-year-old from Nairobi’s Mathare succumbed to the highly infectious virus.

“We now have a total fatality of 52 , we lost one more patient to the disease and we do condole with the families and friends and those who have lost their loved ones during this pandemic,” Health Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi said.

Nine more patients were however released from isolation and treatment facilities after having recovered from the disease.

“We have discharged another nine patients who have recovered from the disease bringing the total number of recoveries to 402,” she noted.

Mwangangi spoke when he confirmed seventy-two more COVID-19 cases raising registered infections to 1,286 with the number of active cases standing at 832.

A total of 2,711 samples were analyzed in a period of 24 hours leading to Monday signalling upscalled government efforts to track COVID-19 cases ahead of the anticipated relaxing of most virus containment restrictions on June 6.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on May 23 hinted at a possibility of relaxing current COVID-19 containment measures which include a nationwide dusk-to-dawn curfew and restrictions of movement into and out of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale and Mandera.

“We will not continue with the lockdown and the curfew, I have told health officials and my ministers that they should start telling Kenyans that we cannot be under a curfew or lockdown forever,” Uhuru said.

The dusk-to-dawn curfew was first issued on March 27. It was extended twice by a further 21 days while the cessation of movement order was imposed in five counties and eventually extended to Nairobi’s Eastleigh and Old Town in Mombasa due to the rising number of virus infections reported in the areas.

Globally, coronavirus has claimed over 345,000 lives out of 5.43 million infections recorded.