NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 21- Kenya recorded 16 COVID-19 deaths Wednesday, the highest on a single day recorded in the country.
The deaths raised the country’s death toll from the virus to 858, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said.
Since the beginning of the month, the country has been recording at least ten deaths daily, with cases showing a sharp rise in recent weeks.
There were also 497 new cases detected Wednesday from 4,888 samples tested since Tuesday.
The Health CS has already warned of a possible second wave of the infections which had shown a decline until the country re-opened its economy and sent children back to school.
Bars and churches were also re-opened but large public gatherings remain on the ban list, that is often defied by top politicians who continue to address large gatherings across the country.
“We must take this disease seriously,” Kagwe said earlier this week, “I am urging Kenyans and even politicians to stop holding these huge gatherings.”
Kagwe said the government will not hesitate to re-introduce tough restrictions that were lifted last month when bars and restaurants were allowed to re-open fully.
The country is implementing a night curfew that ends at 11pm.
The new cases reported Wednesday were distributed across the counties of Nairobi (227) Machakos (64) Mombasa (51) Uasin Gishu (37) Laikipia (28) Busia (19) Kajiado (11) Embu (10) Nakuru (9) Wajir (7) Kiambu (6) Kilifi (6) Kisumu (4) Nyeri (4) Makueni (3) Elgeyo Marakwet (2) Meru (2) Kisii (2) Turkana (2) Narok (1) Homabay (1) and Kakamega (1).
He also reported that there are 27 patients in the Intensive Care Unit, 27 on the ventilatory support, and 41 on supplementary oxygen.
Records from the Ministry show that a total of 1,189 COVID-19 patients are currently admitted in various health facilities and 2,661 are on home-based care program.
At the same time, 238 people have recovered and these including 170 from the home-based program and 68 from the various health institutions, raising recoveries to 32,760.
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