This archive report was first published on 9 July 2020.
Kenya's COVID-19 cases have surged to 8,975, with 447 new cases recorded on July 9, 2020, according to the Health Cabinet Secretary, Mutahi Kagwe.
The new cases were detected from 3,803 samples tested since Wednesday from various parts of the country.
Speaking on the surge, Kagwe emphasized the need for Kenyans to take the matter seriously, stating, "Today we have the highest number of cases ever since, we have 447 cases in the past 24 hours."
Kenya is projecting its peak for the virus infections from August through to January, and has taken measures to ensure safety, including declaring schools closed until 2021.
President Uhuru Kenyatta had lifted travel restrictions to and from the capital Nairobi, the coastal city of Mombasa, and Mandera in the northern part of the country, but extended a night curfew until August 6 in response to the surge in coronavirus cases.
As of Thursday, the country had recorded 173 fatalities since March, with four more patients succumbing to the virus.
However, Kagwe also announced the discharge of 64 patients who have recovered from coronavirus, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 2,657.
With the country moving closer to its projected peak, all 47 counties are under pressure to procure at least 300-bed capacity for isolation.
Kagwe urged counties that have not complied with the directive to ensure it happens, stating, "I am urging counties which have not complied with this directive to ensure it happens because coronavirus patients will not be moved from the counties to Nairobi."
