At least 2.7 million Kenyans had by Friday received a dose of the Covid 19 jab as the country intensified efforts to vaccinate more than 10 million people by December this year.
The latest figures indicate that more than 1,925,446 people had only received their first doses while at least 801,486 others had received their second and final jabs respectively.
In a statement on the COVID 19 situation in the country, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said that the uptake of the second dose among those who received their first dose is at 41.6 percent with the majority being males at 55 percent while females are at 45percent and the proportion of adults fully vaccinated is 2.94 percent.
“The uptake of the second dose by Priority Groups is those aged 58 years and above 239,198, Others 239,355 Health Workers 133,769, Teachers 122,105 while Security Officers are at 67,059.
Saturday, the CS said that 788 people had tested positive for the disease, from a sample size of 6,690 tested in the last 24 hours.
“The positivity rate is now 11.8 percent and from the cases 768 are Kenyans while 20 are foreigners. 399 females while 389 are males. The youngest is a 14-day-old infant while the oldest is 110 years.
“Total confirmed positive cases are now 234,589 and cumulative tests so far conducted are 2,358,930.”, he noted
In terms of County distribution, Nairobi 163, Kiambu 96, Nakuru 73, Nyeri 40, Kirinyaga 33, Murang’a 32, Kajiado 30, Makueni 30, Baringo 28, Kitui 27, Garissa 27, Kericho 22, Kilifi 19, Nyandarua 17, Isiolo 15, Trans Nzoia 13, Migori 11, Mombasa 11, Machakos 10, Bomet 8, Siaya 8, Kisumu 8, Laikipia 7, Embu 7, Uasin Gishu 6, Busia 6, Lamu 6, Samburu 5, Tana River 5, Marsabit 4, Homa Bay 4, Kisii 3, Meru 3, Narok 3, Kakamega 2, Wajir 2, Kwale 1, Bungoma 1, Elgeyo Marakwet 1 and Tharaka Nithi 1.
Distribution of positive cases by age is as follows; 0-9 years (23), 10-19 years (101), 20-29 years (106), 30-39 (163), 40-49 (125), 50-59 (102), 60 years and above (168).
The CS noted that 1,478 patients had by Saturday recovered from the disease with 1,386 from the Home-Based Isolation and Care program while 92 are from various health facilities countrywide.
“The Total recoveries now stand at 219,706 of whom 177,735 are from the Home-Based Care and Isolation program, while 41,971 are from various health facilities”, Kagwe said
Sadly, the CS added that 28 patients have succumbed to the disease, all of them being late deaths reported after conducting facility record audits on diverse dates in August 2021 and this now pushes the cumulative fatalities to 4,694.
New deaths by age; 0-9 years (0), 10-19 years (0), 20-29 (1), 30-39 years (4), 40-49 years (6), 50-59 years (2), 60 years and above (15).
Cumulative deaths by age; 0-9 years (57), 10-19 years (36), 20- 29 (130), 30-39 years (349), 40-49 years (556), 50-59 years (912), 60 years and above (2,654).
Currently, Kagwe said that a total of 1,959 patients are currently admitted in various health facilities countrywide, while 7,442 are under the Home-Based Isolation and Care program.
162 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 114 of whom are on ventilatory support and 37 on supplemental oxygen. 11 patients are under observation.
Another 765 patients are separately on supplemental oxygen with 713 of them in general wards and 52 in High Dependency Units (HDU).
By Wangari Ndirangu