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1,354 people have tested positive to the disease, out of a sample size of 7,732 tested in the last 24 hours. The total confirmed positive cases are now 118,889. Cumulative tests so far conducted are 1,402,480. From the cases 1,301 are Kenyans while 53 are foreigners.

Nairobi has 717 cases, Nakuru 174, Kiambu 100, Machakos 55, Kisumu 40, Mombasa 35, Trans Nzoia 28, Nandi 27, Kericho 25, Siaya 17, Bomet 13, Kajiado 13, Baringo 11, Kilifi 10, Taita Taveta 8, Meru 8, Nyandarua 8, Busia 7, Mandera 7, Kakamega 7, Makueni 6, Murang’a 5, Kitui 4, Homa Bay 4, Nyamira 4, Bungoma 3, Migori 3, Nyeri 3, Tharaka Nithi 2, Embu 2, Kirinyaga 1, Kwale 1, Laikipia 1, Marsabit 1, Uasin Gishu 1, Vihiga 1, Wajir 1 and Elgeyo Marakwet 1.

On a positive note, 185 patients have recovered from the disease, 136 from the Home Based and Isolation Care, while 49 are from various health facilities. Total recoveries now stand at 89,388.

We continue to thank our healthcare workers for their continued dedication to duty that has enabled us to achieve these and many other such results.

Covid-19 Vaccination Exercise update: 
A total of 355,500 doses have been distributed in 10 regional stores countrywide including the Military from a total allocation of 530,000 doses.

The regional stores include Eldoret, Garissa, Kakamega, Kisumu, Mandera, Meru, Mombasa, Nairobi, Nakuru, Nyeri and the Military. 28,255 health workers, teachers and security personnel have been vaccinated.

We have noticed a lot of enthusiasm among members of the public to be vaccinated against this deadly virus, which is a good thing. However I would like to appeal to other Kenyans to be calm and patient as we carry out this first phase, for our very essential services personnel.

We are in the third wave of this virus, and it‘s a wave that threatens to erase all the gains we have made as a country in fighting the pandemic over the last one year.

The numbers of those being admitted into our health facilities with the virus has been rising at an alarming rate. 114 patients had been admitted to our Intensive Care Units (ICU).

That number has shot up to 123. Many of these are on supplementary oxygen. A total of 148 are being supported with supplemental and supplementary oxygen. 17 others have been moved to the High Dependency Unit (HDU).

28 patients have lost their lives to this disease, an increase of 11 from the number given when we had 17 deaths.  The number is not just the highest this year but is also the highest we have recorded since the virus was first reported in Kenya.

The number of those being admitted to hospital has also shot up, and 830 are admitted in various health facilities while 2,332 are on home based Isolation and care.

The rising cases is an indication that we have lowered our guard and majority of us have thrown all caution to the window. 

It is time to return to the basics, by strictly adhering to the containment measures we have been advising you.

This includes washing our hands with soap and water, wearing of face masks at all times in public places, maintaning of social and physical distance, and avoiding all forms of gatherings be they social or political.

At beginning of this year, we had seen a drop in the number of counties reporting cases, and even then, the cases were low.  On January the 20th for instance, only 17 counties reported positive cases, that number has more than doubled to 38.

Many of those contracting the virus are not getting it from outsiders but rather from members of their communities.  The implication here is that Covid-19 is now well in our communities, and we need to be more careful how we go about our day to day affairs in our own communities.

We must avoid all forms of gatherings and must follow to the letter the various restriction measures announced by His Excellency the President last week.

The government has already acquired some 1.2 million doses of vaccines & the vaccination exercise is ongoing in all our National and County referral hospitals as well as other designated centres countrywide.

Those being vaccinated at the moment are the health workers, teachers, members of the security forces including the military, police and immigration officers among others.

All the people who belong to these cadres can be vaccinated anywhere the exercise is being carried out, as long as they produce the documents to identify themselves to our health teams.

Almost two thirds of the deaths that we are witnessing are those of the elderly & vulnerable persons with over 60 years & above. 

Hence, CS for Health has directed that we alter our priority list to cover this very important cadre in our society.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Kenya.