This archive report was first published on 24 December 2021.
December 24, 2021
Kenya's COVID-19 positivity rate has reached a record high of 32.5% in recent months, with 3,746 new cases detected from a sample size of 11,537 tested on Wednesday.
According to Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, the surge in cases has been driven by the spread of the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
Since the first COVID-19 case was reported in Kenya in March 2020, the country has recorded a total of 274,645 cases.
Despite the rise in cases, 60 patients have recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 249,617.
Unfortunately, one more fatality has been reported, taking the total number of deaths to 5,356.
Over 9.3 million Kenyans have been vaccinated against the virus, with the Ministry of Health recording the highest number of vaccines administered on a single day at 205,948.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe urged all adults aged 18 years and above, and teenagers aged 15-17 years, to come out and get vaccinated, while adhering to regular Public Health and Social Measures.
The Ministry of Health has invoked the Public Health Act, making it mandatory for Kenyans to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to use public transport or enter government offices.
Campaigners, including Human Rights Watch, have criticized the directive as discriminatory and urged the government to abandon the plan.
