The number of deaths linked to the Covid-19 virus in Kenya is increasing, as are the number of positive cases linked to foreign nationals, with even some Italians from the coast among the mildly symptomatic patients.
The data of the last 24 hours confirm the upward trend in deaths, which since last week, after days without a single victim, have always recorded at least 4 official deaths. Yesterday saw a peak of 10 deaths, compared with only 194 new cases. The total number of victims since the start of the pandemic now stands at 1837.
Kenya's Health Minister, Mutahi Kagwe reported that Covid-19 positives have emerged from 3935 swabs, a slightly lower percentage than in the previous 24 hours, but other data indicating that the pandemic problem is by no means over in the country.
This is also demonstrated by the increase in the percentage of positive foreigners compared to the total number of new cases: yesterday one third of the cases (32.8%) were attributable to foreign citizens.
According to reliable rumours collected by Malindikenya.net, even some Italians between Malindi and Watamu have been found positive to the swab, some asymptomatic and others with slight symptoms and however not high viral load.
As always, it is Nairobi County that has the majority of infections, with 132 out of 194, while on the coast Kilifi has recorded 5 cases.
The ministry also announced that the number of cured patients in Kenya increased by 39, bringing the total to 85,665. Thirty-six of them were hospitalised, while three were under the home care programme.
Two fewer patients are in intensive care units (but as some places have unfortunately become vacant due to deaths, this is not a minus sign), 26 of them are on ventilator support, 23 on supplementary oxygen and six simply under observation.