NAIROBI, Kenya, May 26 – The Ministry of Health on Tuesday announced 62 new coronavirus cases after testing 2,293 samples within a period of 24 hours, raising the country’s coronavirus tally to 1,348.
Nairobi and Mombasa recorded 23 and 16 cases respectively with the other cases being spread across the counties of Kwale (8), Kiambu (6), Kajiado (6) and Kitui (3).
Health Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman said of the 62 new cases 59 are Kenyans while 3 are foreigners.
“Of the new cases 45 male while 17 are female, in terms of age they range from 6 years to the youngest and 64 years for the oldest,” he stated.
In Nairobi the 23 cases are distributed across Umoja (6), Kibera (6), Eastleigh (3), Dagoretti North (2), Langata (2), Westlands (2), Starehe (1) and Embakasi East (1).
In Mombasa the 16 cases are spread across Changamwe (9), Jomvu (3), Nyali (3) and Mvita (1). In Kwale the 6 cases are from Msambweni (4) and Lunga Lunga (4).
In Kiambu the 6 cases were traced to Lari (5) and Ruiru (1)
In Kajiado the cases are from Kajiado central (4) and Kajiado East (1).
The 3 cases in Kitui are from Miambani in Kitui rural.
To date Kenya has tested a total of 64,264 samples, recorded 405 recoveries and 52 fatalities.
Meanwhile, three more patients were discharged after recovering from COVID-19 raising total recoveries to 405.
The release of the three patients brings to 891 the number of active cases being monitored in COVID-19 isolation and treatment centre.
So far, the country’s recovery rate stands at 30 per cent against the global average of 42 per cent.
The fatality rate stands at 4 per cent, significantly lower than the global average of 6 per cent.
The Ministry of Health appealed to members of public to present themselves for COVID-19 screening, to support targeted mass testing in Nairobi’s Kawangware and Eastleigh, and Mvita in Mombasa.
The efforts are seen as crucial to facilitate the safe reopening of the country’s economy which has been battered by current containment measures.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on May 23 hinted at the possibility of relaxing current COVID-19 containment measures which include a nationwide dusk-to-dawn curfew and restrictions of movement into and out of Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, and Mandera counties.