NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 11- The country’s COVID-19 infection rate was at 11.8 per cet Sunday, with 486 cases reported.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the cases were detected from a sample size of 4,134 tested across the country since Saturday raising the caseload in the country to 145,670.
“From the cases, 463 are Kenyans while 23 are foreigners,” Kagwe said. “The youngest is a 3-month-old infant while the oldest is 94 years.”
The fatality rate also remained high, with 18 deaths recorded on Sunday, pushing the cumulative coronavirus disease deaths to 2,348.
“A total of 1,616 patients are currently admitted in various health facilities countrywide, while 5,994 patients are on Home Based Isolation and Care. 256 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 44 of whom are on ventilatory support and 181 on supplemental oxygen,” he said in the daily COVID-19 update from the ministry.
Further, the CS said 498 patients had recovered from the disease, raising the total recoveries to 99,095.
Kenya is undertaking a vaccination drive with AstraZeneca after acquiring the initial 1.02 million doses through the COVAX facility in February.
By April 10, the government said 422,021 people had been vaccinated by among them 110,523 health care workers, 34,150 security officers, 59,906 teachers and 217,442 other citizens including those above 58 years of age.
In terms of gender, 238, 522 males have been vaccinated while 183,499 females have also received the jab.
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation has raised concerns that there will be no end in sight in the fight against the COVID-19 crisis if Africa’s population is left out in the fight against the virus, especially in the global vaccination drive.
The organization founded by Sudanese businessman Mo Ibrahim noted that if ignored, the continent would provide room for the virus to continue to spread and mutate subsequently becoming the perfect incubator for COVID-19 variants.
It also decried Africa’s lack of involvement in the manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines and lack of leaders’ commitment to mobilize resources to fight the pandemic.