Kenya’s Covid-19 Cases Jump to 320 as 17 More Kenyans Test Positive

The number of coronavirus infections in Kenya has jumped to 320 after 17 additional cases were confirmed on Thursday.

In a media briefing at Afya House, Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Dr. Mercy Mwangangi said all the 17 new patients are Kenyan nationals. The 17 cases are from 668 samples tested in the past 24 hours.

Out of the 17 new cases, 12 were registered in Mombasa County and the rest (5) are from Nairobi. 15 of the patients were picked by the Health Ministry’s surveillance team while two are from quarantine facilities.

Nine of the 17 new patients are male, whereas eight are female—all aged 22 and 60 years old. None has a recent history of travel abroad.

At the same time, CAS Mwangangi announced that six more patients recovered from the infection, raising the tally of recoveries in the country to 89. The death toll from Covid-19 stands at 14.

The ministry has also warned Kenyans against the over-reliance of alcohol-based sanitizers, saying the use of water and soap is the most effective way of fighting Covid-19.

“We have noticed a worrying over-reliance on sanitizers while sanitizers are effective, soap and running water is the best for fighting this disease. People must, therefore, start prioritizing washing hands and only sanitize in conditions where sanitizing will be useful” Dr. Mwangangi said.