This archive report was first published on 13 June 2020.
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread in Kenya, the Ministry of Health has taken a tough stance on patients who defy home-based care protocols.
According to Dr Rashid Aman, the Ministry's Director of Medical Services, patients who are placed under home-based care and defy the protocols will be arrested and charged.
Dr Aman made the announcement while releasing the latest report on the Covid-19 situation in the country, which showed that 288 persons, mostly breastfeeding mothers, were placed under home-based care and are being monitored.
The Ministry has set up a command centre in Embakasi to monitor the movements of patients under home-based care, and is also using an app to track their movements.
Dr Aman emphasized the importance of self-discipline in preventing the spread of the virus, saying that patients who defy the protocols will be arrested if they do not comply.
He also announced that the Ministry has adopted a hybrid model of care, where patients are kept in hospitals for 10 days before being released to be managed at home.
As of yesterday, there were 152 new cases reported from 3,503 samples tested, bringing the total caseload to 3,457. Cumulatively, 112,171 samples have been tested since March 13, when the first case was confirmed in the country.
Of the positive cases reported so far, 3,106 are as a result of local transmission, meaning the virus is within the community.
By counties, Nairobi is leading with 1,546 cases, followed by Mombasa (1,020), Busia (308) and Kajiado (106).
Dr Aman also announced that 38 out of the 47 counties have since reported cases, with the youngest case being a two-year-old and the oldest a 65-year-old.
