Kenya on Thursday reported 147 new Covid-19 cases and three more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 1,618 and the death toll to 58.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said in a briefing that 13 coronavirus patients left hospitals in the past 24 hours, taking the number of recoveries in the country to 421.
All the 147 patients who tested positive are Kenyans and the youngest is one-year-old, Mr Kagwe said.
The number of Covid-19 cases recorded Thursday is the highest since the first case was reported in Kenya on March 13.
“Today, we have recorded the high of 147 people testing positive out of 2,831 samples tested. The cumulative tests conducted so far is 70,172,” the CS said.
Out of the new 147 cases, 87 are males and 60 females. The CS said based from government statistics men are more prone to being infected with the new coronavirus than women.
Nyeri joined the list of affected counties after recording two cases.
The Health minister urged Kenyans to stop stigmatising people who test positive for the virus.
During the same briefing, Kiambu Governor James Nyoro said that Tigoni Level Four Hospital, which was converted into a Covid-19 isolation centre, has the capacity to accommodate 45 patients.
He said the county has set up additional 60 isolation beds in Gatundu, Thika Level Five Hospital and Kiambu Level Five Hospital.
He asked the Health minister to facilitate the hospital with testing kits to speed up mass testing.
“We have so far hired 200 health personnel in fight against Covid-19 and we expect to hire additional 100 next month.
“We appeal to the CS to provide us with more testing kits so that we can test more people,” Mr Nyoro said.
The governor said Soko Mjinga, Githurai 45 and Ngewa Kwa Maiko remains key areas of concern in the spread of Covid-19 due to high populations. He appealed to the locals to comply with the stipulated guidelines set by the government.