This archive report was first published on 29 September 2021.
Kenya's COVID-19 positivity rate has settled at 6.4% after recording 404 new cases on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, bringing the total caseload to 249,174.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced the new cases, which were detected from 6,309 samples tested on Tuesday. The country's positivity rate has remained steady at 6.4%.
As of Wednesday, 1,042 patients were admitted to various health facilities across the country, including 75 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Unfortunately, three patients succumbed to the virus, raising fatalities to 5,119.
Kenya has made significant progress in vaccination efforts, with over 3.7 million individuals vaccinated, including 898,553 who are fully vaccinated.
As part of the government's efforts to accelerate vaccination, a national campaign was launched on Wednesday, targeting 10 million individuals in the next three months. The campaign aims to administer 5.8 million jabs by October 20, Mashujaaa day celebrations.
The Ministry of Health rolled out the campaign by flagging off mobile vaccination outreaches in counties. Hundreds of Kiambu residents were vaccinated as the campaign kicked off.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe appealed to other county governments to join the effort, saying, 'We are appealing to other county governments to do the same, let us mobilize the vehicles that we have for other purposes so that we can reach the unreached as far as vaccination is concerned.'
Kenya received a second batch of 210,600 doses of Pfizer vaccine from the United States on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, as part of the global campaign to fast-track vaccination efforts.
The second batch arrived in Nairobi 10 days after the country received the first consignment of 795,000 doses of the vaccine from the US on September 17, 2021.
The US Embassy in Kenya stated, 'The second donation of 210, 600 doses of Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines via COVAX facility arrives in Kenya. We are committed to leading the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and accelerating vaccine distribution worldwide.'
On Tuesday, the government launched a 5-day mass COVID-19 vaccination exercise for inmates and prison staff at a Naivasha Prison. Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi and Health Cabinet Secretary Kagwe attended the launch, announcing that prison visitations will resume once more inmates are vaccinated.
CS Matiangi said, 'We have more than enough doses for this purpose. The Ministry of Health has availed more than 100,000 doses, and our plan is to ensure the prison population is protected, not only as a matter of government policy but also because it is a human right.'
The exercise aims to vaccinate 50,000 inmates by the end of the 5-day period, targeting 133 correctional facilities across the country.
