NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 26 – The Ministry of Health on Friday reported 410 new COVID-19 cases detected from 7,180 samples.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe pointed out that 368 of the new cases were reported among Kenyans while 42 were foreigners among them 276 males and 134 females.
The CS further said that a year-old and an 83-year-old were among the new cases.
He announced that 6 more patients had succumbed to the virus, raising fatalities to 1,853.
However, 24 patients were discharged after recovering from the virus bringing the total number of recoveries to 86,521.
He also said 342 COVID-19 patients were still admitted in various health facilities in the country, among them 61 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 25 on ventilatory support and 29 on supplemental oxygen.
The much-awaited COVID-19 vaccine will be administered free of charge in all public health facilities, with arrivals expected from next week.
About 16 million people will be vaccinated 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.
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.
On Thursday, the Cabinet ratified a COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan with the first batch of the vaccines expected into the country within the first week of March.
The Cabinet, during its first sitting this year, resolved that the first group to be vaccinated will include health care workers and frontline workers among them security personnel and teachers, vulnerable persons and those in working in the hospitality industry.
Also, as part of the country’s response to the disease, the Cabinet sanctioned heightened surveillance at all of Kenya’s international borders, so as to stem the propagation of the disease into the country.
“The Cabinet noted that the first batch of COVID vaccine will arrive in Kenya the first week of March 2021.In that regard, the Cabinet ratified the distribution framework for the vaccines with first priority given to health care workers, front line workers including those in security and teachers, vulnerable persons and groups and the hospitality sector,” a statement from the Cabinet Office read.
