Kenya’s death toll from the coronavirus pandemic have risen to 634, after 10 more people were pronounced dead in the last 24 hours.
However, contrary to the trend in Kenya, only three out of the 10 patients had pre-existing health conditions. Meaning the remaining 7 died from effects of the virus.
Health CAS Dr. Mercy Mwangangi announced the shocking statistics, adding that 96 more people tested positive from a sample size of 3,270 tested. This brings Kenya’s total cases to 36,301.
DR. Mwangangi announced that Kenya had also hit another milestone with 502,003 tests done so far.
From the cases, all are Kenyans except 4 foreigners. In terms of gender 70 are males and 26 females. The youngest is a Five year-old child, while the oldest is 81.
Nairobi reported (26) new cases; Kisii (10), Busia (8), Mombasa (7), Uasin Gishu (7), Kisumu (7), Machakos (6), Kericho (5), Kilifi (4), while Samburu, Nakuru, Kajiado, and Kiambu each reporting (2) cases each. Bomet, Embu, Kakamega, Makueni, Meru, Trans Nzoia, Narok and Taita Taveta each had (1) case each.
121 more people have also recovered from the virus. 97 of them being from the Home-Based Care Program, while 24 have been discharged from various hospitals. This now brings the total recoveries to 23,364.
Meanwhile in Parliament, the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Health on the status of the Oxford University’s Covid-19 Vaccine trials in Kenya.
“KEMRI is currently engaged in multilateral partnership with the Wellcome Trust and the University of Oxford under the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Collaborative Research Programme aimed at expanding the country’s capacity to conduct multidisciplinary medical research.” Said Mvita MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir.
He added that AstraZeneca Plc was engaged to administer human trials in Kenya.
“Oxford University has engaged AstraZeneca Plc, which is a British-Swedish multinational biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, England, to develop a Covid-19 vaccine on its behalf by conducting differentiated human trials in Kenya.” He added.