This archive report was first published on 18 July 2020.
On July 18, 2020, Kenya reported a record high of 688 Covid-19 cases in a single day, bringing the country's total number of confirmed cases to 12,750.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced the new cases during a tour of Embu County, where he also reported three more deaths and 457 recoveries.
Of the recovered patients, 401 were under home-based care, while 56 were in hospital. The death toll now stands at 225, with a total of 4,440 recoveries.
CS Kagwe also announced that Tana River had become the 44th of 47 counties to record a case of the virus.
Kenya's number of coronavirus cases has been increasing steadily since the reopening of county borders.
The Health Ministry has expressed concern over the disregard for basic measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19, including wearing masks in public.
CS Kagwe reiterated the need for personal responsibility, urging members of the public to 'save each other' and take individual responsibility to prevent the spread of the virus.
He discouraged inter-county travel and gatherings, noting that it is better to keep off until the pandemic is contained.
"This disease is here with us. We must invest to fight the virus. Take individual responsibility to save your child, your mother, your father, your friend... Let’s save each other. You save me, I save you,” he said.
Regarding political gatherings, he said, "When a politician calls a public gathering, you have a choice - to go there or not. Take personal responsibility. Don’t go there. You don’t have to be there."
