NAIROBI, Kenya Jul 24 – Eleven more people have succumbed to COVID-19 in Kenya, raising the fatalities to 274 even as the country recorded 667 new positive cases.
The Health Ministry said the new cases were detected from 5,075 samples tested since Thursday.
“We have recorded 667 new cases and this raises the total infections in the country to 16,268,” said Dr Mercy Mwangangi, a Chief Administrative Secretary at the Ministry of Health.
She also announced 11 more deaths, raising the country’s fatality from the virus to 274.
“We are also delighted to announce that 145 patients have been discharged from hospital after recovering from COVID-19,” she said, “we also cleared 166 who were on home-based care.”
On Thursday, Dr Mwangangi warned that the country is drawing closer to the peak of infections projected to start in August, even as the country prepares to open her airspace to international passengers.
The country has been implementing a night curfew for the past three months until August 6, when President Uhuru Kenyatta will issue new restrictions.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi on Friday dispelled social media claims that he is in isolation over COVID-19, even as Government Spokesman Cyrus Oguna confirmed he is undergoing treatment for the virus.
Matiangi said reports circulating on social media are fake, with reports indicating that he was at Harambee House on Friday for a newspaper interview.
“To all members of the public, please disregard the fake news and misinformation being spread on various outlets that the is hospitalised,” a statement on Interior Ministry’s official tweeter page stated.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry Wangui Muchiri too dismissed the reports, saying “it is not true. The CS is not hospitalised. He is well and discharging his functions.”
On his part, Oguna whose office had denied reports that he was positive last week finally owned up, and confirmed the he tested positive.
“Recently, having come from an assignment out of town, i developed mild coronavirus related symptoms and got tested,” Oguna said in a statement posted in his official Twitter account, “The results came back positive for coronavirus and I am now receiving medical care and responding well to treatment.”
Reports indicate that he had been receiving treatment at the Forces Memorial Hospital until Thursday when he was moved to a private hospital.
Several government officials in ministries and departments have also tested positive for the virus, prompting the Head of the Civil Service Joseph Kinyua to issue a circular calling for tough restrictions in government offices.
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