Twenty-five new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Kenya, pushing the natioal tally to 490.
Out of the 25 confirmed cases, 15 are from Nairobi and 10 from Mombasa.
The national tally is only 10 short of reaching the 500 mark, a situation Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi (pictured) said should be treated seriously.
All the 25 are Kenyans with no recent travel history.
The age range of the new cases falls between six months to 60 years old. The infant raises questions on previous belief that the virus does not affect children.
Reports from the World Health Organisation are clear that nobody is safe, however, older people and those with underlying health conditions are vulnerable.
The new covid-19 cases are distributed in Eastleigh, Mathare, Kawangware, Umoja and Kahawa West in Nairobi.
At the global level the disease is at above three million infections and over 200,000 deaths.
The disease is fully within the communities and the rate of infections is not going down.
The Health ministry cautioned that Kenyans seem to have gone back to normalcy, ignoring the threat of coronavirus.
Dr Mwangangi has insisted that the containment measures are the only way to keep covid-19 at bay.
They include social distancing, washing hands frequently, staying at home and only going out when it is absolutely necessary.
Facemask use
Whenever out in public one is advised to wear the facemask.
As the fight against the pandemic is intensified, the government has observed that most people are not wearing masks the proper way.
“The mask is a protective barrier to the virus,” Dr Mwangangi added.
Speaking at the daily briefing at Afya House in Nairobi on Monday, she said residents should stop hanging the masks around their chin and only pull it up when they spot a law enforcement officer.
Vendors have also been cautioned against allowing buyers to fit more than one mask when buying, a dangerous practice that can lead to mass infection.
The masks should be packaged and marked according to size.
On mushrooming social research studies by institutions and individuals, the Health CAS said while research is encouraged, it should be channelled towards the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation.
As the ministry continues to roll out mass testing in hotspot areas, there has been an increase in residents’ turnout.
The hotspots include Eastleigh, Mvita and Kawangware.
Targeted testing is meant to identify and isolate the infected to prevent further transmission.
Citizens in hotspot areas have been urged to willingly come out to be tested.
The mass testing rolled out on Thursday last week has faced challenges regarding low turnout.
Part of residents’ concerns include being forced into mandatory quarantine if need be and having to pay for it.
Currently there are 35 quarantine centres in Nairobi that have been closed and about 219 personnel at the centres. However, the numbers keep changing based on the infection trends, Dr Mwangangi noted..
There have been cases of those placed in quarantine escaping, and citizens worried that the ministry has not put in place enough measures to stop the possible spread from those with the virus.
Cases of escape, according to Dr Mwangangi, are being held by a multi-disciplinary team led by security personnel.
The CAS denied that the escapees may be spreading covid-19, saying robust contact tracing is a scientific methodology and community transmission has already been established.
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