NAIROBI, Kenya, May 24 – The number of COVID-19 cases registered in the country rose to 1,214 on Sunday after 22 more people tested positive for the virus.
The 22 were among 1,108 whose samples were taken for testing within a period of 24 hours, Health Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman said.
“Of the new cases, 17 are male and 5 females, the youngest is 24 years while the oldest case is 73 years old,” he stated.
A significant number of the newly detected are distributed across Nairobi (10), Mombasa (9) where Mathare, Kibra and Mvita recorded the highest number of infections.
In Nairobi the 10 cases are spread across the estates of Mathare (2), Kibera (2), with Makadara, Embakasi West, Eastleigh, Ruaraka, Langata and Westlands registering a case each.
In Mombasa Mvita recorded 5 cases, Changamwe (1), Jomvu (1), Likoni (1) and Nyali (1).
The remaining three other cases reported in Kwale, Nakuru, Taita Taveta counties were traced to Lunga Lunga, Nakuru West and Taveta quarantine facility respectively.
Aman however said three patients had recovered from the virus, raising the number of recoveries to 383.
Coronavirus fatalities however rose to 51 after a 48 year old male patient from Mathare succumbed to the virus.
Kenya has so far tested a total of 59,260, Ministry of Health saying targeted mass testing in identified COVID-19 hotspots will go on.
Aman also reiterated government’s commitment to meet the cost of treatment and quarantine for those who test positive, while urging Kenyans to turn up for testing.
He noted that most Kenyans are adhering to the issued guidelines, underscoring President Uhuru Kenyatta’s to reopen the country after a nearly tow months of depressed economic activity due to COVID-19 containment measures.
“The partial lock-down measures will not go on longer than necessary and will be reviewed if Kenyans follow the containment measures that will reduce the number of infections and flatten our curve,” he said.