Covid-19: Kenya cases rise to 912
Health Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman delivers the Covid-19 press briefing at Afya House, Nairobi. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Taita Taveta, Garissa and Meru have now recorded their first cases.
- No Covid-19 deaths have been recorded in the last 24 hours.
- He noted that 53 truck drivers have so far tested positive for Covid-19 along the Kenya-Tanzania border.
25 more people have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total tally of confirmed cases in Kenya to 912, Health Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman has said on Monday.
Of these, 23 are men while 2 are women. Their ages range between 22 and 50-years-old.
23 of the new positive cases were Kenyans while 2 are Somalis.
Taita Taveta, Garissa and Meru are the latest counties to record their first cases, bringing the total number of affected counties to 23. Taveta has 2, Garissa 2 and Meru 1 virus cases.
The distribution of other new cases by county is: Kajiado (6), Mombasa (5), Nairobi (3), Kiambu (3) and Kwale (3).
The new cases in Nairobi were drawn from Githurai 44, Kawangware and Starehe estates.
Dr Aman said 44,851 samples have so far been tested.
"Targeted mass testing is going to be expanded. Our limitation is the international supply chain. We have received testing materials and that's why we have ramped up the testing," he said.
No Covid-19 deaths have been recorded in the last 24 hours. 22 were discharged after testing negative with the total number of recoveries rising to 336.
TRUCK DRIVERS
He noted that 53 truck drivers have so far tested positive for Covid-19 along the Kenya-Tanzania border, of which 51 were from Tanzania and 2 Burundi nationals.
All were turned back to the country.
Dr Aman said plans are now underway to have a laboratory set up at the Namanga border to speed up testing and release of virus results.
"Border points remain important. We have capacity to test at the points along the Uganda border. The problem is the Tanzania border and turn around time for results is long," he said.
FACE MASKS IN CARS
Government Spokesperson Cyrus Oguna, who was present at the briefing, clarified that police officers do not have the authority to arrest those not wearing face masks when they're inside their private cars.
"If you are stepping out of your house you must have a mask on. But we understand too that a private vehicle is not a public place...They (police) are not supposed to arrest anyone in their private cars but they are supposed to encourage anyone to come out wearing that mas," he said in response to a journalist's query.
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