This archive report was first published on 22 May 2020.
Kenya is bracing for a surge in coronavirus infections, with health officials predicting a peak of 200 cases a day in September.
According to the Ministry of Health, the country is currently experiencing an exponential growth in positive cases, with 80 new cases confirmed on Thursday, the highest recorded in a single day.
The latest forecast comes against the backdrop of a surge in infections, which has seen the country's cases rise to 1,109, with 375 recoveries.
Health Services director-general Patrick Amoth attributed the slower growth in infections to the measures put in place by the government, including the closure of schools, imposition of a curfew, and restrictions on movement in Nairobi and Mombasa.
"When we predicted a peak in April, it was based on the worst case-scenario, but remember we closed schools, imposed a curfew and we restricted movement in Nairobi and Mombasa," Dr Amoth said.
"All these have led to a smoother curve rather than a peak which would have come earlier. We project that our peak will be in August or September where we will be reporting 200 cases a day if we continue the measures we have put in place," he added.
The Ministry of Health has also noted that people travelling from the country's coronavirus hotspots to other regions are posing the greatest challenge to the containment of the viral infection.
Out of the 80 Covid-19 cases confirmed Thursday, seven were in Siaya and had travelled from Nairobi's Kibera slum.
Figures show that a total of 3,102 cases were tested yesterday, the highest number ever sampled since the first Covid-19 case was confirmed in the country on March 13.
