19 new Covid deaths take Kenya numbers past 500

Kenya Wednesday reported 19 coronavirus-related deaths registered within 24 hours, raising the country’s death toll to 506.

A total of 379 Covid-19 infections were recorded from 3,367 tests, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 31,015.

One of the latest confirmed deaths was recorded in the community, Health Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi said.

She added that 18 of those who succumbed had underlying health conditions.

Kenya’s first death attributed to the coronavirus was in late March.

“We have lost 19 patients today to Covid-19. One out of the 19 passed on at home. 18 out of the 19 had either hypertension or diabetes” said Ms Mwangangi.

Of the new cases, 372 were Kenyans while seven were foreigners. A total of 223 were male and 156 were female.

Dr Mwangangi said the youngest was a one-year-old infant while the oldest is 87.

Some 244 patients recovered from the disease, bringing the recoveries tally in the country to 17,612.

Dr Mwangangi cautioned Kenyans not to be overly optimistic that the curve was flattening. “Our curve has not yet flattened… we are experiencing disruptions with regards to the acquisition of reagents but we are managing,” she said.