Exactly 60 days after the first case of Covid-19 recorded in Kenya, during the usual press conference in Afya House, the Kenyan Administrative Secretary of Health, Dr. Rashid Abdi Aman announced that 28 people tested positive for the virus bringing the total to 700, 12 are those discharged while a patient died in Nairobi, bringing the number of Covid-19 victims to 33.
This brings the number of cases still active to 416.
The interim Director General of the Ministry of Health Patrick Amoth, during the press conference, pointed out that the country, for the first time, had to record the death of a person aged between 30 and 39 years.
"In the last 48 hours we have lost a fellow citizen of only 33 years of age," said Amoth. "Although this category has the highest number of asymptomatic cases, we have never had a deceased person.
The Health DG has revealed that the Government is planning to test all patients who will be admitted to hospitals, in order to protect healthcare workers.
In the last 24 hours, 841 swabs have been taken.
The details of the infections: 10 Mombasa, 7 Nairobi ( 3 at Kenyatta National Hospital ), 2 Wajir and 9 Kajiado.
19 out of 47 counties registered at least one case of Covid 19.
The government is planning to test all patients.
Dwelling on the high number of contagions in Kajiado, Rasfid Abdi Aman specified that all nine recorded cases are Kenyan truckers from Tanzania, checked at the Namanga border.
"The tests are also carried out on Tanzanian drivers who want to enter Kenya and in case of a positive result we inform the Tanzanian authorities and of course deny them permission to enter," explained Abdi Aman.
There is particular attention to the borders since the cases are increasing along the Kenyan borders (especially the one with Somalia in relation to the constant increase in Wajir), it is asked to report any illegal passage of people from neighboring states to try to "stop the import from other areas".
"Our priority now is to limit contagion among the local community, don't be afraid to come out into the open, undergo testing and seek appropriate assistance even when you have no symptoms of the Covid 19 virus.
The Administrative Secretary of Health also urged Kenyans to be wary of alternative natural medicine (including traditional herbs), saying that there is no scientific evidence of the effectiveness of such remedies, while at the same time suggesting that KEMRI investigate some products under development.
In an attempt to curb the spread of disinformation in the country, the Ministry of Health presented a special Whatsapp platform ( number 0110719719 ) "as a simple integrated diagnostic tool that provides information about the pandemic".