This archive report was first published on 14 July 2020.
COVID-19 Cases Surge in Kenya ¶
July 14, 2020
Kenya has seen a significant increase in COVID-19 cases, with five counties experiencing a rise in average daily new infections over the past week. Kiambu, Machakos, Kajiado, and Nakuru are among the counties with the largest increases.
Health CS Kagwe has expressed concern over the surge in cases, stating, "In the past few days we have observed an upsurge in the number of positive cases."
The government has implemented lockdowns and movement restrictions in certain areas, but health experts warn that these measures may not be enough to contain the spread of the virus.
Amref global CEO Gitahi Githinji likened lockdowns to a switch, saying they are not an off-button but rather one that can be dimmed or brightened depending on factors such as the readiness of the health system.
Contract-tracing has been identified as an effective method of infection control, but the process is labor-intensive and requires significant resources.
The Ministry of Health is adopting web-based data management to track and manage cases, but the process of getting samples from the ground to the lab remains a logistical challenge.
The country has only managed to test slightly more than 216,000 samples, despite the need for over a million tests.
The Ministry of Health has procured rapid-response vehicles at a cost of Sh102 million to aid in the transportation of samples and personnel.
