The country could be facing possible a new surge in Covid-19 infections after 23 people succumbed while 1,098 remain hospitalised in the various health facilities countrywide.
During a daily national update today afternoon, the Ministry of Health has also reported 583 new cases of from a sample size of 6,686 tested in the last 24 hours.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the positivity rate stands at 8.7 per cent from the latest cases.
The new sad revelation of possible times ahead came hours after governors from the lake region asked to be allowed to import Covid-19 vaccines to combat the wave of the disease in the area.
Led by Kakamega County Governor Wycliffe Oparanya who also chairs the Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB), the governors maintained that vaccination is key in controlling further spread of the virus in the region.
During today’s national update, the cumulative fatalities rose to 3,484 while the confirmed positive cases and cumulative tests conducted stand at 179,876 and 1,913,782 respectively.
From the cases, 561 are Kenyans while 22 are foreigners, 316 are males and 267 females.
The youngest is a five-month-old baby while the oldest is 101 years.
Kagwe said that 85 patients have recovered from the disease, 60 from the Home-Based and Isolation Care program while 25 are from various health facilities countrywide.
The total recoveries now stand at 123,050 of whom 89,192 are from the home based care and Isolation program, while 33,858 are from various health facilities.
5,669 patients are under Home Based Isolation and Care.
Kagwe added that 273 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 204 of whom are on ventilatory support and 51 on supplemental oxygen. 18 patients are under observation.
Another 123 patients are separately on supplemental oxygen with 113 of them in general wards and 10 in High Dependency Units (HDU).
Today, governors drawn from the lake region said the three million jabs procured by the Ministry of Health are inadequate to accelerate vaccination across the country.
County governments, they said must be allowed to import the jabs authorised by Ministry of health to augment efforts by the national government.
Oparanya who chaired the LREB summit to discuss the COVID-19 situation in the region said the disease continues to cause a major strain on health infrastructure.
