Kenya's COVID-19 positivity rate at 0.5 per cent after 18 people test positive

The Ministry of Health on Monday announced that 18 people contracted COVID-19 from from a sample size of 3,982 tested in the last 24 hours.

The positivity rate is now at 0.5%, with total confirmed positive cases rising to 254,728 and cumulative tests so far conducted are 2,801,983.

From the cases, 13 are Kenyans while five are foreigners; 10 are males and 8 are females, while the youngest is 30 years and the oldest is 83 years.

The cases were distributed across various counties namely; Nairobi 9, West Pokot 2, Garissa 1, Kakamega 1, Kericho 1, Kiambu 1, Kwale 1, Migori 1 and Turkana 1.

The ministry said 21 patients recovered from the disease, with 16 from the Home-Based Isolation and Care program while 5 were discharged from various health facilities countrywide. Total recoveries stand at 247,975.

No death was reported, therefore the cumulative fatalities remain at 5,328.

“A total of 351 patients are currently admitted in various health facilities countrywide, while 977 are under the Home-Based Isolation and Care program,” read a statement signed by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe.

“20 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 9 of whom are on ventilatory support and 11 on supplemental oxygen. No patient is under observation.”

He added: “Another 112 patients are separately on supplemental oxygen with 111 of them are in the general wards. One patient is in the High Dependency Unit (HDU).”

The CS also said a total of 6,398,580 vaccines had so far been administered across the country as of November 21, 2021.

Of these, 3,990,944 were partially vaccinated while those fully vaccinated were 2,407,636. The uptake of the second dose among those who received their first dose was at 56.4%. Proportion of adults fully vaccinated was 8.8%.