Kenya Coronavirus Updates for 17th June: Kenya Records the Highest Number of Covid-19 Cases
Unlike yesterday, today the Ministry of Health Kenya has today recorded another high number of 184 positive cases of COVID-19. Testing and accuracy of the testing are now becoming increasingly important as the numbers rise, the Chief Administrative Secretary for Health Dr. Rashid Aman, announced and cautioned against unapproved testing kits that purport to diagnose Coronavirus COVID 19 that have permeated the market.
“I am alerting Kenyans to be aware that the only kits supposed to be used are the real-time kits that utilize the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), that have been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
He explained that today’s 184 positive cases were from a sample size of 2,518, tested in the last 24 hours and warned that such figures have the potential to quickly overwhelm the healthcare facilities.
“We must not allow this to happen. I am appealing to our people to seriously observe the containment measures since our numbers of positive cases are steadily rising, further confirming the fact that community transmission is now well established,” he noted.
The positive cases, the CAS noted has now pushed the cumulative numbers to 4, 044 out of 124, 474 samples, so far tested in the country. Today’s postive cases had 129 males and 55 are females, and all were Kenyans except one.
The 184 positive cases are distributed in Nairobi with 111 cases, Mombasa, 19, Kajiado, 14, Meru 13, Kiambu, nine, Busia, six, Nakuru, four, Machakos, three, Kwale, Kisumu, Garissa, Taita Taveta and Vihiga Counties have one case each.
Vihiga, becomes the latest County to record a COVID-19 Case, bringing the number of counties so far affected to 40.
Nairobi, 111 cases are from Westlands, 33, Kibra, 19, Langata, 18, Embakasi East, 15, Dagoretti North, 12,, Kamukunji, four, Makadara, two, Starehe, two, Embakasi Central, two, Roysambu, Embakasi West, Kasarani and Embakasi South, have one case each.
In Mombasa, the cases are from, Mvita, nine, Changamwe four, Likoni, two, Nyali, two, Jomvu and Kisauni, one case each.
The cases in Kajiado are from Kajiado Central, 12, Kajiado East and Kajiado North, one case each. In Meru, the 13 cases are all from Imenti North, while in Kiambu, the nine cases are from Lari, three, Juja, two, Kabete, Kikuyu, Kiambu Town and Limuru have one case each. In Busia, all the six cases are of truck drivers in Malaba five, and Matayos one.
In Nakuru, the four cases are from Naivasha, three, and Nakuru East, one. In Machakos, all the three cases are from Athi River, while in Kwale, the case in Lungalunga. In Kisumu, the one case is from Kisumu Central, Garissa, the case is from Garissa Township, Taita Taveta, case is of a truck driver at Taveta, and the case in Vihiga, is from the Mbale town.
Dr Rashid also announced that today 27 patients have been discharged from various facilities, bringing the tally of recoveries to 1,353. “Sadly, we lost two more patients to the disease bringing the total number of fatalities to 107,” he said,
The acting Director General of Health Services, Dr Patrick Amoth added that currently there are 540 patients admitted in the country, five are in a critical condition, three are under a ventilator and two supplemental oxygen, the rest being observed.
He noted that 88 per cent of cases in Kenya are asymptomatic and the medicine dexamethasone that is clinically on trial for treating COVID 19, can only be applied in a very little fraction and therefore there is still no cure for Covid.
“The deployment of this essential medicine applies to those who are critically ill and because Kenyans have tendency to buy the medicine from the counters, I want to say that the side effects of these medicine are detrimental in terms of fluid retention, gaining of weight, pressure can go up, affect mood leading to depression and sleep pattern,” he warned.
