Kenya has at least 50 active covid-19 patients in Intensive Care Unit, Director of Public Health Dr Francis Kuria has revealed.
The number is part of the 1,179 patients who are in various medical facilities in the country when 667 new cases have been reported raising the country’s total to 16,268 on Friday.
Kenya has reported fatalities after 11 more succumbed to the virus including a child with rickets.
While giving the daily briefs, Dr. Kuria refuted claims that isolation centres in Nairobi county are full saying that country’s capacity is a work in progress with the current number being 12,513 normal isolation beds and 498 ICU beds.
“We are making every arrangement to improve the capacity in Nairobi because this is where majority of the cases are. We will be advising the members of the Fourth Estate and the public of how we will be moving beginning next week,” Dr. Kuria said.
He also clarified that the cases announced by the ministry are from samples tested from rapid response teams and therefore no need no need for testing all the staff in government offices unless there was exposure.
“Our strategy still indicates that we test those who have symptoms and close contacts of those that have been identified as positive, not the entire building. It has to make scientific sense for testing for a whole building,” he said.
During the daily briefs on Thursday, Ministry of Health’s CAS Mercy Mwangangi said that 89% of the lastest coronavirus cases in the country are asymptomatic. Meaning the diseases is now in the community and that people might have it but fail to show signs.
