Kenyan Health Ministry Says More Deaths In The Country Due To COVID-19

A public health official extracts a sample for COVID-19 testing during a targeted mass screening exercise/FILE/MOH

NAIROBI, Kenya Nov 22 – COVID-19 fatalities in Kenya shot up further Sunday after 14 patients succumbed to the virus.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said there were 76 others on oxygen support while 63 were admitted in the Intensive Care Unit.

Some 155 were cleared, among them 110 who were on the home-based care program.

Sunday’s fatalities increased deaths in the country to 1,380 even as 968 more positive cases were reported.

Kagwe said the new cases were confirmed from 6,610 samples tested since Saturday, raising infections in the country to 77,372. Kenya has so far conducted 839,614 tests since March when the first case was confirmed in the country.

Kenya has experienced a surge in the number of infections since September in what threatens plans to reopen schools in January next year.

The Council of Governors (CoG) has announced plans to launch the ‘no mask no service’ campaign on Monday, to sensitize Kenyans on the need to wear face masks all the time.

The Council’s Chairman Wycliffe Oparanya told journalists on Friday that the campaign which is to be conducted across all the 47 counties aims at reinforcing the government’s position that personal responsibility is key in the fight against COVID-19 following a surge in infections.

“This will be conducted using all safe means available to pass and share the message and including vernacular radio stations and other communication channels at the county Level,” he said.

In addition, Oparanya said the county governments working jointly with County Commissioners under the County Emergency Response Committees (CERC) will thereafter launch the joint enforcement of the Ministry of Health COVID-19 protocols.

In order to stem the increased spread of COVId-19 infections among healthcare workers, Oparanya said the council will endeavor to ensure that all healthcare workers have access to quality Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) kits approved by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).

“To this end, counties are working closely with the Ministry of Health to ensure that they procure quality PPE kits from Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA),” he said.

 

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