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The Ministry of Health says 631 people have tested positive for the virus, continuing the double-digit positivity streak that has been the norm for the last 11 days.
This raises the number of confirmed cases to 47,843 with 646,367 samples tested so far. The positivity of the new cases reported yesterday against 6,142 samples is 10.2 per cent.
Since October 13, the country has been recording a double-digit positivity rate with the highest - 14.4 per cent – recorded on October 20.
Similarly, since October 1, the country has recorded a positivity rate of below five per cent on only three occasions: October 1 (3.9 per cent), October 5(3.6 per cent) and October 12 (3.6 per cent).
The World Health Organisation recommends a positivity rate of five per cent and below to indicate a flattening curve.
This positivity rate should be sustained for 14 days straight before a country can conclude that the pandemic is under control. Other thresholds are reduced number of patients in need of critical care and less deaths.
In the latest update released yesterday by Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, the country also reported a double-digit death after 14 people succumbed to the virus.
The double digit deaths have also been the norm in the last three days, with 42 deaths in total.
On Wednesday, 16 people were reported dead from the virus, 12 on Thursday and 14 on Friday (yesterday). To date, 884 people have succumbed to the virus.
This high number of deaths and cases have been linked to the reopening of the economy and the relaxation of containment measures.
A total of 1,142 patients are admitted across various health facilities in the country while 3,238 are on home-based care programme.
Health Chief Administrative Secretary Mercy Mwangangi said the rise in cases has not overrun the country’s health system.
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