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Over 13,000 receive second Covid vaccine jab in Kenya

A total of 13,198 people in Kenya have so far received their second vaccine shot against Covid-19.

Of these 6,337 are frontline healthcare workers, 2,411 are the elderly aged 58 years and above, teachers (1,161), security officers (714) and other members of the public (2,575).

Latest data from the Ministry of shows that over 975,000 people have been inoculated against the virus across the country.

“Of these 295,660 are aged 58 years and above, others 277,953, health workers 166,304, teachers 153,145, while security officers 82,773,” said Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe.

Meanwhile, Kenya’s total Covid caseload stands at 172,639 after 148 people tested positive in the last 24 hours from a sample size of 2,163.

Read also: Africa’s Covid caseload nears 5 million

“The positivity rate is 6.8 per cent and the total confirmed positive cases are now 172,639 and cumulative tests so far conducted are 1,836,410”, Mr Kagwe added.

The CS also noted that 631 patients have recovered from the disease, 496 from the home-based and isolation care program while 135 are from various health facilities countrywide.

“The total recoveries now stand at 118,226 of whom 85,892 are from home based care and isolation program, while 32,334 are from various health facilities,” he said.

However, 21 people succumbed to the virus, all of them being late deaths reported after conducting facility record audits on diverse dates in the month of April and May pushing the cumulative fatalities to 3,308.

The CS confirmed that a total of 1,147 patients are currently admitted in various health facilities countrywide, while 4,802 patients are under home-based isolation and care program, 102 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 26 of whom are on ventilatory support, and 60 on supplemental oxygen.

“16 patients are under observation. Another 95 patients are separately on supplemental oxygen with 88 of them in general wards and seven in High Dependency Units,” Kagwe said.

In terms of County distribution, Kisumu has slightly recorded a lower number despite being the latest epicenter for the virus. The county recorded five cases.

Read also: Kenyans sleep hungry, burn through savings to survive Covid woes

The lakeside region has been recording a steady rise in Covid-19 infections and deaths in the past few weeks since the confirmation of the highly double mutant Delta variant, first detected in India.

According to County Governor Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, so far, Kisumu has recorded a cumulative of 5,739 cases.

The governor has therefore ordered the closure of Kisumu County Headquarters indefinitely as part of measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the area.

According to the directive made during a multi-agency committee meeting held on Monday, June 7, the county offices will remain closed with non-essential services provision remaining suspended until further notice.

The meeting also resolved that “as a precautionary measure to curb further spread of the virus, the County Covid-19 Multi-Agency Committee resolved to conduct a fresh crackdown on Public Service Vehicles and Boda Bodas not complying with the Covid-19 protocols.”

Additionally, the committee has urged members of the public not to physically attend worship centers for their own safety while also warning that those flouting home-based care guidelines will be prosecuted.

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