This archive report was first published on 21 June 2020.
Kenya has reached a grim milestone in its fight against COVID-19, with the country recording its highest number of cases to date. As of Sunday, the total number of cases stood at 4,738, with 260 new cases reported in the last 24 hours.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe noted that Sunday marked the 100th day since the pandemic hit the country. He emphasized the importance of personal responsibility in observing containment measures to combat the disease.
"It is evident that COVID-19 will be with us longer and it will stretch our healthcare system. It is our personal responsibility to ensure we observe the containment measures to fight the disease," he said.
Of the new cases, 254 were Kenyans, while six were foreigners. The youngest patient was just 7 months old, while the oldest was 90 years old.
Nairobi led the way with 157 new cases, followed by Mombasa with 42, and Kwale with 15. Two more people succumbed to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 123.
However, 21 people were discharged, bringing the total number of recoveries to 1,607. According to CS Kagwe, by next week, each county will have at least 300 isolation bed capacity.
He also acknowledged the impact of COVID-19 on people's mental health, citing measures such as staying at home and maintaining social distance as contributing factors to anxiety.
But he also noted a positive change in behavior, with increased hand hygiene reported. He reiterated that the guidelines serve to reduce the risk of contracting the disease.
