This archive report was first published on 5 August 2020.
On August 5, 2020, the COVID-19 death toll in Kenya reached 391 after three more virus-related fatalities were reported within 24 hours.
According to Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, the new figure represents a case fatality rate of 1.64 per cent, the average rate recorded since July.
During a regular briefing on the status of COVID-19, Kagwe also noted that 603 additional patients had been discharged after recovering from COVID-19, raising recoveries reported since April 1 to 9,930.
Of the new recoveries, 436 patients were undergoing home-based care.
Kagwe acknowledged the efforts of health workers and noted that the high number of recoveries is a ray of hope for newly infected patients.
"There is a good balance between the number of infections and recoveries, it means that when the spaces are vacated, we can bring in new patients without overstretching our facilities," he said.
As of March 14, the total documented cases of COVID-19 in Kenya rose to 23,873 after 671 COVID-19 cases were detected from 6,200 samples examined within 24 hours.
Health care workers represent 3 per cent of the cumulative cases documented since March, with 723 cases reported among health professionals.
Kagwe called upon county governments to heed to the concerns of the healthcare workers' unions, which are decrying payment frustrations and rising infections in healthcare facilities.
