Health CS Mutahi Kagwe has confirmed that Kenya is experiencing a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This is as the country recorded 761 new cases on Thursday, bringing the country’s total load to 52,612.
Kagwe said this was from a sample of 4,830 tested in the last 24 hours.
Speaking during the daily Covid-19 briefing from Mombasa, Kagwe said Kenyans should expect new directives going forward .
Another 14 patients have succumbed to the disease, bringing the country’s fatalities to 964.
“… We know that we have a second wave of this disease in the country and the balance between keeping our economy running and keeping people safe is one that is obviously creating it’s own challenges,”Kagwe said.
He revealed that a total of 1,084 people are currently admitted in various hospitals with 35 in the intensive Care Unit.
Out of this, 14 are on supplementary oxygen, 18 patients are on ventilatory support and 24 in the High Dependency Unit.
The CS said Kenyans should expect fundamental changes both in case management and behavior that will be announced after the governor’s summit with the president scheduled for Wednesday next week.
Going forward, Kagwe has said, all asymptomatic patients will be cared for at home and not in hospital.
This comes as various city hospitals raised alarm over lack of enough capacity to accommodate the surging Covid-19 numbers.
“There is no reason for us t hospitalise persons who show no signs of any sickness except that they are positive cases,” Kagwe said.
Meanwhile, 346 more patients have recovered from the disease out of which 223 were from the Home-Based Care program and 123 discharged from various hospitals.
The county’s cumulative recoveries now stand at 35,604.
The 761 new virus cases were distributed in Nairobi 395, Uasin Gishu 103, Mombasa 55, Kiambu 44, Kilifi 30, Busia 21, Migori 14, Nakuru 12, Trans Nzoia 12, Machakos 12, Embu 11, Kajiado 11, Kirinyaga 8, Homabay 6, Kwale 5, Nyandarua 3, Nayri 3, Vihiga 3, West Pokot 2, Meru 2, Tharaka Nithi 2 while Kakamega, Wajir, Siaya, Murang’a, Nandi, Taita Taveta and Nandi had 1 case each,