The country last Friday recorded the highest number of fatalities resulting from related Covid ailments after 28 patients succumbed to the highly contagious virus.
And the Ministry of Health (MoH) raised a red flag over the high number of Covid-19 infections and deaths during the third wave of the pandemic after the record fatalities was reported in the last 24 hours, the highest ever registered since the first case was reported in the country.
MoH Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Dr. Mercy Mwangangi said that the third wave is hitting the country hard seeing that yesterday we recorded a positivity rate of 17 per cent and Friday it has gone up to 17.5 per cent with 1,354 people having tested positive to the disease, out of a sample size of 7,732 tested in the last 24 hours.
Speaking at Afya house on Friday during a Covid-19 briefing, Dr. Mwangangi said that Thursday 114 patients had been admitted to our Intensive Care Units (ICU) and that number has shot up to 123.
She said that many of these are on supplementary oxygen and a total of 148 are being supported with supplemental and supplementary oxygen. 17 others have been moved to the High Dependency Unit (HDU).
“The number of those being admitted to hospital has also shot up, and as of today(Friday ) 830 are admitted in various health facilities while 2,332 are on home based Isolation and care,” said Dr. Mwangangi.
She explained that the beginning of this year, we had seen a drop in the number of counties reporting cases, and even then, the cases were low. On January the 20th for instance, only 17 counties reported positive cases, now number has more than doubled to 38.
“Many of those contracting the virus are not getting it from outsiders but rather from members of their communities. The implication here is that Covid-19 is now well in our communities, and we need to be more careful how we go about our day to day affairs in our own communities,” she said.
She explained that in view of the third wave and almost two thirds of the deaths that we are currently witnessing are those of the elderly and vulnerable persons with over 60 years and above, the Cabinet Secretary for Health has directed that they alter Covid-19 vaccination priority list to cover this very important cadre in our society. Therefore, this distinguished group of people in our society will be vaccinated when we receive the next consignment in April.
“On our Covid-19 situation, Friday 1,354 people had tested positive to the disease, out of a sample size of 7,732 tested in the last 24 hours. The total confirmed positive cases are now 118,889. Cumulative tests so far conducted are 1,402,480. From the cases 1,301 are Kenyans while 53 are foreigners. 719 are males and 635 are females. The youngest is a seven-month-old infant while the oldest is 100,” she said.
Dr. Mwangangi said that in terms of County distribution; Nairobi has 717 cases, Nakuru 174, Kiambu 100, Machakos 55, Kisumu 40, Mombasa 35, Trans Nzoia 28, Nandi 27, Kericho 25, Siaya 17, Bomet 13, Kajiado 13, Baringo 11, Kilifi 10, Taita Taveta 8, Meru 8, Nyandarua 8, Busia 7, Mandera 7, Kakamega 7, Makueni 6, Murang’a 5, Kitui 4, Homa Bay 4, Nyamira 4, Bungoma 3, Migori 3, Nyeri 3, Tharaka Nithi 2, Embu 2, Kirinyaga 1, Kwale 1, Laikipia 1, Marsabit 1, Uasin Gishu 1, Vihiga 1, Wajir 1 and Elgeyo Marakwet 1.
“On a positive note, 185 patients recovered from the disease, 136 from the Home Based and Isolation Care, while 49 are from various health facilities. Total recoveries now stand at 89,388. We continue to thank our healthcare workers for their continued dedication to duty that has enabled us to achieve these and many other such results,” said Dr. Mwangangi.
On the Vaccination Exercise countrywide, Dr. Mwangangi explained that a total of 355,500 doses have been distributed in 10 regional stores countrywide including the Military from a total allocation of 530,000 doses. The regional stores include Eldoret, Garissa, Kakamega, Kisumu, Mandera, Meru, Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Nyeri and the Military. By Friday 28,255 health workers, teachers and security personnel had been vaccinated.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
