This archive report was first published on 9 July 2020.
Kenya's Covid-19 cases have been on the rise, with a new high recorded on July 9, 2020. According to the Health Ministry, 447 people tested positive for the virus in a single day, marking an 11.7 per cent infection rate from 3,083 samples obtained.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe warned that the growing cases indicate a steep increase in Covid-19 cases, particularly in Mombasa counties. He urged the counties to prepare for the surge by increasing their capacity to handle the cases.
"The growing cases point out to what we have been saying and what our modelling shows, that cases will continue to grow. And therefore we must prepare... by increasing capacity in counties to be able to handle an increase in cases," Kagwe said.
As a precautionary measure, the government has directed counties to have a minimum of 300 beds for coronavirus patients. However, about half of the counties have yet to meet this target.
Most counties have converted Kenya Medical Training College facilities into isolation and treatment centres. So far, 42 out of 47 counties have confirmed Covid-19 cases.
