NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 10- Kenya was staring at possible new tough measures or an extension of the exsisting protocols following the increased infections.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe warned Wednesday that the country was in the thick of the third wave of the pandemic, with 713 new cases detected. There were also 12 deaths reported from COVID-19 complications. The highest on a single day.
Wednesday’s new infections were the highest in the country since November last year.
As a result, Kagwe said, all Intensive Care Unit hospital beds in Nairobi County hospitals were full, with reports indicating a similar situation elsewhere in the country.
“The number of patients in ICU has gone up with 89 patients now in the ICU and as you recall the number had gone to even less than 20 in January. We are about to start another difficult period but I know, having been overcome the first two waves, we will overcome this one too,” Kagwe said.
The coutry recorded the highest number of COVID-19 fatalities Wednesday.
Kagwe said 12 more patients had succumbed to the virus raising fatalities in the country to 1,898.
The total caseload stood at 110,356 on Wednesday.
He called on Kenyans to continue adhering to the COVID-19 protocols even as the vaccination exercise continues.
“I know this time round, people are tired, I am tired as well, people are strained and the virus has taken a toll on us and it is at this time when we feel the way we do that we can let our guard down, adopt a don’t care attitude but then we will be hit hardest,” Kagwe said.
Kenya is still enforcing the COVID-19 protocols including a dusk to dawn curfew that ends on Friday.
There are already reports that President Uhuru Kenyatta is likely to extend the measures or impose new ones to suppress the third wave of the pandemic.
“Let us all work together and renew our commitment to ensuring that we can protect each other and save our loved ones,” said Kagwe.
Health Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi said that Kenya will receive up to 25 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine free of charge as part of a grant by the COVAX facility. the country already received some 1 million doses of the vaccine.
Mwangangi who was appearing before the National Assembly Health Committee said this is due to an advance purchase agreement between COVAX and Gavi.
She stated the vaccines will be delivered in Kenya as grants and aims to provide equitable access to vaccines for all countries around the world.
“Kenya will not spend a single coin. It is a grant from GAVI through the COVAX facility. Gavi took the lead in negotiating directly with the manufacturers and handled logistics and so the price you saw being shared it is not just a price for Kenya but for any country that has signed up with COVAX,” Mwangangi said.
Kenya received 1.02 million vaccines Tuesday, shipped in by UNICEF as part of the global COVAX alliance, which aims to provide equitable access to vaccines for all countries around the world.
In phase two of the vaccination, which is set to kick off in July, 9.7 million Kenyans will be vaccinated.
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