NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 31 – Kenya recorded 565 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday raising the country’s caseload to 235, 863.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the country’s positivity rate stood at 12.6 percent even as six more deaths were recorded.
“The new infections were recorded from 4,494 samples which were tested,” he said in his daily update to the press.
Kenya’s total number of virus-related fatalities stood at 4, 726 by Tuesday.
1,280 patients have recovered from the virus bringing the total number of recoveries in the country to 223, 637.
Kenya had vaccinated more than 2.7 million people against the virus. On Monday, the Ministry of Health said it had developed a framework for the deployment and administration of COVID-19 vaccines by private health facilities.
Kagwe on Monday said the ministry had created a structure that will pave way for the private health facilities to order vaccines and inoculate Kenyans against the virus.
“We have a structure of the participation by the private sector, their account at the Treasury has been created for them to put money, the vaccines will, however, be administered by the Ministry of Health,” he added.
The CS further reiterated that the administration of the COVID-19 doses is free warning against illegal vaccination stations.
He prohibited COVID-19 vaccination outside the government-sanction framework saying it is risky and can be fatal.
“Vaccines not stored in cold chain facilities are likely to lose potency and will be of no use to those who receive them,” he added.
The CS said vaccines should only be issued at the health facilities listed by the Ministry of Health as well as registered health care providers.
“The distribution of COVID-19 vaccines is solely being conducted by the Ministry of Health so as to ensure its safety,” he added noting that vaccines administered incorrectly can lead to unnecessary side effects.
Accredited facilities, Kagwe said, should submit reports on the vaccination including doses used and the number of people vaccinated.
He said the ministry will withhold vaccines for health facilities unable to account for its doses.
