Economy

Covid infection rate rises as deaths hit new high

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Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Kenya’s Covid-19 infection rate continued to rise Monday as deaths also hit a new high, just a week after most of the containment measures to combat the disease were relaxed.

The Ministry of Health (MoH) reported 189 new cases from 1,205 samples collected, a 15.7 percent infection rate, up from an average of nine percent last week.

The country also recorded 12 new deaths in under 24 hours, all from Nairobi county. This now brings the total cases and deaths to 10,294 and 197, respectively. Some 65 persons were discharged bringing the total recoveries to 2,946.

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said that three of the deaths happened at homes. He called on Kenyans to continue observing the containment measures.

“This is because they are the only weapons we have to wrestle this invincible enemy,” said Mutahi.

He was speaking yesterday while handing over 13 vehicles to select counties to help with contact tracing. This, he said, was integral in breaking infection rings, reducing mortality rate and lessening the social and economic impact of the disease.

“Critical interventions are needed to reduce morbidity and mortality rates from existing and emerging infectious diseases,” he said.

From Monday’s tally, Nairobi county reported the highest Covid-19 cases with 147 as Kiambu reported 20, Machakos 11, Kajiado five and Mombasa two. Uasin Gishu, Kisumu, Laikipia and Kericho counties each had a single case.

In Nairobi, Dagoretti North accounted for 77 cases while Embakasi East and Makadara each had 10 cases. Nine cases were reported in Kibra, six in Embakasi West, four in Lang’ata with Kamukunji and Kasarani recording two cases each.

A case each was also recorded in Dagoretti South, Embakasi Central and Embakasi North.