COVID-19: Kenya records 11 deaths, 503 infections as positivity rate at 12.4%

The Ministry of Health on Wednesday announced that 503 people tested positive for COVID-19 from a sample size of 4,060 tested in the last 24 hours.

The positivity rate is 12.4%, with total confirmed infections rising to 194,310 and cumulative tests so far conducted are 2,068,760.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said 769 patients recovered from the coronavirus; 523 from the Home-Based Isolation and Care program while 246 were discharged from various health facilities countrywide. Total recoveries roe to 183,980.

CS Kagwe however noted that 11 patients succumbed to the disease, all of them being late deaths reported after conducting facility record audits in April, May and July 2021. This pushes the cumulative fatalities to 3,811.

From the new cases, 472 are Kenyans while 31 are foreigners; 252 are females and 251 males, while the youngest is a five-month-old baby and the oldest is 89 years.

The cases were distributed across various counties namely; Nairobi 334, Kilifi 84, Nakuru 21, Kiambu 20, Kajiado 6, Machakos 5, Murang’a 5, Siaya 4, Taita Taveta 4, Garissa, Nyeri, Turkana and Uasin Gishu 3 cases each, Mombasa 2, Bungoma, Homabay, Nyandarua, Kisumu, Kericho and Makueni 1 case each.

The CS stated that a total of 1,253 patients are currently admitted in various health facilities countrywide, while 3,966 are under the Home-Based Isolation and Care program.

He said 140 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 35 of whom are on ventilatory support and 78 on supplemental oxygen, while 27 patients are under observation.

Kagwe further stated that 288 patients are separately on supplemental oxygen with 255 of them in general wards and 33 in High Dependency Units (HDU).

“As of 20th July 2021, a total of 1,636,475 vaccines have so far been administered across the country. Of these, total first doses are 1,040,665 while second doses are 595,810,” he stated.

“The uptake of the second dose among those who received their first dose is at 57.3% with the majority being males at 55% while females are at 45%.  Proportion of adults fully vaccinated is 2.2%.”

He added that the uptake of the second dose by Priority Groups is as follows: Aged 58 years and above 185,933; Others 170,590; Health Workers 107,707; Teachers 84,264; while Security Officers are at 47,316.