Fourteen more people have tested positive for Covid-19 to bring the number of total cases in the country to 172.
In the latest update on Tuesday by the Health Ministry, Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe (pictured above) said out of the 14 new cases, twelve were Kenyans and the other two foreigners.
The 14 have been moved to isolation, with the CS urging Kenyans to brace for bad news in the wake of the respiratory illness spreading across the country.
“Twelve are Kenyans while two are foreign nationals. Four are from quarantine facilities while 10 were picked by surveillance team,” Kagwe said.
In the new cases, Nairobi – the county with the highest infection rate -, accounted for seven positive cases. Two cases are from Mombasa, two from Mandera while Kisii, Machakos and Kiambu each had a case.
The two cases from Mandera had travelled from Mombasa.
“The disease is here. The disease we are getting is very mild but this isn’t a reason to relax. We are hoping for the best but we must prepare for the worst. We must be mentally prepared to face a situation we haven’t faced before,” Kagwe said.
More recoveries
The CS said three people have been released from isolation facilities after testing negative for the virus. This takes the total recoveries to seven.
The CS urged Kenyans to adhere to measures issued by President Uhuru Kenyatta in a bid to curb the spread of the infectious disease that has killed over 70,000 people worldwide. Kenya has recorded six deaths.
“It is important to adhere to measures outlined by the President if we are to score significant gains against the monster that is the coronavirus.”
In the last 24 hours, 696 people had been tested.
“We have increased the capacity to monitor and trace contacts. We have tested nearly 5,000 people so far,” he said adding that the testing of all health workers and medical staff in all hospitals and quarantine facilities is set to begin immediately.
On social distancing, the CS said this must also be observed in open-air sporting clubs.
At the same time, Kagwe ordered the immediate closure of golf clubs and clubhouses as a measure to curb the spread of the disease.
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