NAIROBI, Kenya May 3 – Coronavirus cases in the country have risen to 465, after 30 more cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours out of 883 samples analyzed.
Health Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman Sunday said nineteen of the patients are from Mombasa, eight from Nairobi and two from Bungoma.
“We have tested 883 cases out of these 30 have tested positive, 23 are male and 7 are female,” said Aman.
Out of the eight cases confirmed in Nairobi, two are from Kawangware, five from Eastleigh and another from Kibera. Kawangware and Eastleigh have since been declared as coronavirus hotspots and a targeted mass testing exercise is ongoing in the areas.
In Mombasa the cases are spread across Mvita (15), Kisauni (3) and Likoni (1).
In Kitui the single case registered is from Mwingi Town, while the two cases in Bungoma are from truck drivers.
So far 16 counties have confirmed cases of coronavirus.
At the same time, 15 more patients have been discharged from hospital after having recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 167.
The country’s death toll now stands at 24 after two more patients from Mombasa succumbed to the virus.
CAS Aman urged residents in areas where targeted mass testing is taking place to show up, after reports indicated residents were shunning tests.
He said the ministry had tested only 803 samples in Kawangware in two days against a set target of 2,000.
In Eastleigh only 494 samples were collected against a target of 3,000.
He said the Ministry of Health has acquired the capacity to undertake targeted testing but the willingness of the people to be tested is low.
“There are countries where people beg to be tested yet their countries can’t. I want to appeal to Kenyans in the targeted areas to willingly go and be tested. The tests are free,” he appealed.
Aman further said the Ministry of Health is concerned over return of normalcy in Nairobi, given increased vehicular traffic in recent days, despite an increase in community infections.
He also announced that the National Emergency Response Committee has mandated Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai to establish a containment camp for curfew violators.
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