This archive report was first published on 12 June 2020.
On June 12, 2020, the Ministry of Health in Kenya announced a significant milestone in the fight against COVID-19. In a 24-hour period leading up to Friday, 72 more patients recovered from the disease, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1,164.
Health Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman attributed the high number of recoveries to the fact that the disease is not a death sentence. He emphasized that every time a high number of patients recover, it indicates that the disease can be overcome, and individuals can get better and move on with their lives.
According to the Ministry of Health, the number of COVID-19 cases reported since March has increased to 3,305, with 90 new infections recorded within the last 24 hours. This brings the total number of active cases in the country to 2,045.
The country's recovery rate now stands at 35 per cent, which is lower than the global average of 50 per cent. The 90 new cases were spread across various counties, including Nairobi, Mombasa, Busia, Uasin Gishu, Kilifi, Garissa, Meru, and Turkana.
Of the 90 new cases, 62 were males and 28 were females, with the youngest patient being 14 years old and the oldest being 80 years old. All of the new cases were Kenyan citizens.
Unfortunately, the country's coronavirus death toll rose to 96 after 4 more patients succumbed to the virus within a 24-hour period. Health Chief Administrative Secretary Rashid Aman urged Kenyans to support an ongoing blood donation campaign to boost the national blood bank.
Aman stated that the government has launched programs to build up the capacity of the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Service (KNBTS) amid dwindling blood reserves. He noted that the KNBTS is now collecting about 250 pints of blood, compared to the 500 pints collected prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.
