This archive report was first published on 8 July 2020.
On June 8, 2020, Kenya's Health Ministry announced 278 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the national tally to 8,528.
According to CS Mutahi Kagwe, the new cases were confirmed after testing 3,053 samples in the last 24 hours, with a total of 196,508 samples tested so far.
During his visit to Makueni to evaluate COVID-19 preparedness, Kagwe also announced 89 new recoveries, taking the total number of recoveries to 2,593.
Unfortunately, two more patients succumbed to the disease, increasing the total number of fatalities to 169.
CS Kagwe commended the Governor Kivutha Kibwana-led administration for their efforts in preparing for the pandemic, including affording a 300-bed capacity and increasing the number of beds to over 800.
He also announced that 257 health workers, including 4 from Makueni, had contracted the virus while on duty.
However, the CS assured health workers that the government would enhance efforts to protect them, especially those on the front lines battling the pandemic.
"For those who have been exposed, I want to assure them that the government is committed to ensuring that all our front-line soldiers are protected at all times by making available the necessary PPEs and other commodities as they manage our patients," CS Kagwe said.
He also acknowledged the support received from different individuals and organizations, saying, "as a ministry, we have received tremendous support from different individuals and organizations, both public and private. The logistical resources needed to get us where we are today have been enormous, and out of their goodwill we can confidently say that we are in a much better position at our level of readiness."
