Seven Kenyans have tested positive in the last 24 hours in the country after analysing 707 samples, bringing the total number to 303 people who have been infected.
Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said that the government has embarked on a mass testing targeting high-risk areas including health workers. Some 25,000 testing kits have been deployed for that purpose.
The government plans to test 250,000 persons between now and June, while for community-based surveillance, the target is 100,000 households.
Kagwe said there are a few Kenyans who are undoing the efforts the government has put in place adding that it’s unfortunate that some naysayers have dismissed the briefing as mere daily ledgers.
“We refuse to sit back and we will continue to inform Kenyans of what they should do to flatten the curve. In times such as these, we have to be alive to the effect of what the measure taken have done to our people,” he said.
He added that there is nothing to celebrate when runaway impunity takes root at the risk of all of Kenyans.
“A slight lapse in behaviour could roll back the gains we have made and the destiny of our nation,” he said.
He said the fight belongs to all Kenyans as he compared the countries number with her neighbours.
“This past week alone, we have seen significant changes of infections in our own neighbourhoods, where covid-19 cases in Somalia have multiplied nine-fold in a week from 26 cases on April 13 to 237 by yesterday. In Tanzania, the numbers have swollen sevenfold,” he added.
According to the CS, the virus may move at a slow pace but can also take off at such high speed as seen in Spain.
He said the government had established psychiatric and psychological care.
“We are concerned about mental health and we established a counselling framework. Please call hotline 1199 if you need help,” he said.
