NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 16 – The Ministry of Health on Monday reported 174 coronavirus cases from 2,848 samples raising the total number of cases registered in the country since March 2020 to 103,188.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said that a year-old baby and a 79-year-old were among the new cases.
The CS said among the new cases, 159 were Kenyans while 15 were foreigners among them 92 males and 82 females.
At the same time Kagwe reported two virus-related deaths, raising the country’s COVID-19 death toll to 1,797.
He said 86 patients had recovered from the virus among 65 under home-based care and 21 discharged from various health facilities across the country.
The total recoveries stood at 85,336.
According to the Ministry of Health there were 258 COVID patients in various health facilities, while 1,190 patients were on home based isolation and care.
“37 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit, 15 of whom are on ventilatory support and 17 on supplemental oxygen,” the ministry outlined.
Although the numbers of COVID-19 cases have significantly reduced in the last few months, Kenya is still enforcing a dusk-to-dawn curfew which is aimed at minimizing the spread of the virus.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has however hinted that he is likely to lift the curfew if Kenyans continue to observe the COVID-19 protocols.
The government is importing vaccines targeting to start with 16 million people by end of the year to suppress the virus with vaccines from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Johnson and Johnson.
Of the 16 million, more than 1 million health care workers and essential providers will be among the first people to be vaccinated against COVID-19 later in February when the vaccines are expected to arrive in the country.
In phase two of the vaccination, which is set to kick off in July and end in June 2022, 9.7 million Kenyans will be vaccinated.
The Ministry of Health said it had recommended AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for clearance by World Health Organization for importation to Kenya.
