Kenya records 32,557 Covid-19 cases, nearly 19,000 recoveries

By Jill Namatsi

Kenya’s number of declared coronavirus cases rose by 193 to reach 32,557 on Monday, after the analysis of 3,381 samples in the last 24 hours.

The government announced the country’s first case of the disease on March 13, following its discovery in Wuhan, China, on December 31, 2019.

In its daily briefing, the Health ministry also announced 225 more recoveries and six more deaths, raising the total counts to 18,895 and 554 respectively. Of those declared cured, 188 were treated at home and 37 in hospitals.

Of the new patients, three were foreigners and the rest Kenyans, 137 male and 56 female, and the youngest two months old and the oldest 87 years.

The 3,381 samples raised the total number tested in Kenya to 425,264.

In terms of counties, Nairobi accounted for 78 of the new cases, Embu 24, Garissa 21, Kiambu 18, Nyeri 13, Mombasa 10, Samburu six, Murang’a five and Lamu four.

Kajiado had three new cases, Trans Nzoia and Kilifi two each, and Machakos, Isiolo, Tharaka-Nithi, Meru, Nyandarua, Uasin Gishu and Nakuru one each.

Infections curve

The country’s number of infections as reported daily has declined notably over the last few days, resulting in questions about a flattening curve. On Sunday,  246 new cases were reported after the testing of 4,179 sample in 24 hours.

Asked about this, Dr Patrick Amoth, the acting Health Services Director-General, said Kenya’s positivity rate had dropped to about six per cent as of August 24 from about 7.9 per cent as of August 21.

He said the ideal rate would be five per cent sustained for 14 days, as stated by the World Health organization (WHO).

As such, Dr Amoth said, the next three weeks are crucial for Kenya as the Health ministry projected that the peak infections season would be late August to September.

The positivity rate is calculated by dividing the number of new infections with the number of samples tested and multiplying this by 100, so it often fluctuates.

The ministry also noted that some of the 34 testing centres across the country had been receiving fewer sample. It said it expected the number to increase in the next few days.

While reporting the 7.9 per cent rate last week, CAS Mercy Mwangangi said that while the positivity rate was only two per cent after Kenya reported cases of the coronavirus, it had since risen.

“This increase points to an acceleration in the rate of transmission of the disease,” she said, adding it pointed to a peaking curve.

At that time, CAS Aman said, “It is a bit early to say the curve is dropping. There are other indicators that determine where we are and the strongest  is the number of hospitalisations due to Covid-19 and the people dying from the disease.”