Coronavirus: Kenya records highest Covid-19 cases at 307 Nairobi, Wednesday July 1, 2020

This pushes thecountry’snumber of confirmed cases to 6,673.Cumulatively the government hastested 173,355 samples,theChief Administrative Secretary (CAS)forHealth,Dr. Rashid Amandisclosed yodaywhile briefing the nation on the dailyCOVID-19situation

Out of the 307cases,298 are Kenyanswhile 18 are foreigners.The youngest is aone-year-old while the oldest is 81.

Thenew casesare distributed in the countiesofNairobi154,Mombasa 38, Machakos, 33, Kiambu 20, Narok 20, Kajiado 14, Busia 10, Kericho 4, Makueni and Nakuru 5 cases each, Kilifi, Kisumu, Kitui and Uasin Gishu onecase each.

Andinsub-countiesthe cases arefromNairobi,Dagoretti North34, Kibra22, Embakasi Central and Langata18cases each,Starehe (17), Westlands (14), Embakasi South (10), Embakasi Westseven, Kamukunjifive, Dagoretti South, Makadara and Matharetwocases each, Embakasi Central, Roysambu and Ruaraka, onecase each.

In Mombasa, the cases are inMvita22, Likoni10, Changamwefive, and Nyali,one. In Machakos, the cases are in Athi River32, and Yatta oneand inKiambu, the cases are in, Ruirufour, Kiambu Townsix, Kabete and Thika,threecases each, Kiambaatwo, Juja and Lari onecase. All the 20 cases in Narok are from Narok North.

In Kajiado, the cases are in Kajiado Centralseven, Kajiado Northfive, and Kajiado Easttwo. In Busia, the cases are in Teso Northsixand Matayosfour. In Kericho thefourcases are in Ainamoi. In Makueni, thefivecases are in Kibwezi East, and in Nakuru thefivecases are from Naivashathree, Nakuru East and Nakuru West onecase each. In Kilifi the onecase is in Kilifi North while in Kisumu the onecase is in Kisumu Central, in Kitui the case is in Kitui Central and in Uasin Gishu the case is in Turbo.

“Today, wehave also discharged 50 patientsfrom various hospitals, bringing to 2,089 the total number of recoveries,butwe alsolost onemore patient to the disease bringing to 149 our fatality in the country,”he noted.

The CAS appealed toKenyansto take personal responsibility in the fight against Coronavirus diseasein view of thehugenumbersthe country is recordingandcautionedthe public thatthere is need to exercise caution especially now with the prevailing situation of COVID 19 infectionin the country.

“Majority of Kenyans have been discussing the possibility of Government opening the economy. This discussion is unavoidable. However,individual responsibility and ramping up of preparedness are key interventions that must be at the top most of our response list,”he said.

HedisclosedthatCountieshave been given a target of 300 bed isolation capacity by the Presidentandmust work towards achieving this requirement.

“These are weighty matters that must dominate our discussions, to aid the government in coming up with balanced measures on the way forward,”saidDr. Rashidand notedthatseveral developed countrieslikeUSA, Australia, South Korea and Germany areexperiencing major spikes in COVID-19 infections, after opening up their economies and hurriedly closing down again.

“We must strike a balance in terms of how we would like to see our country move forward, and avoid running the risk of experiencing an upsurge of cases. It is better to be safe than sorry,”he noted.

TheAg. Director Generalfor Health,Dr. Patrick Amothadded thatcurrently there are 186 health care workers who have tested positive ofCOVID-19and out of these 102 females and 84 malewith apositivity rate of ratio 2.8 percent.

On home based care, he noted thatthere is a strict criteria that is set to ensure one does not pose any dangerand as wego forward the number of home based care will increase butin acautious manner.

“Currently there havebeen 600 people on home based care and 120 have been discharged.“So farwealso have not lost any one whoison home based care,”Dr. Amoth said and also highlightedthat some of the challenges of the home based care is that it only applies to the middle class andupper middle classpeople.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.