Cases are increasing in Kenya, especially in the percentage of swabs performed.
It is certainly a symptom of targeted testing and the many contacts recovered from the lists of people close to those who have already been found positive. There are fifteen cases of virus positive today, bringing the total to 296. There are also five people who have been cured and discharged. Only 545 swabs have been taken in the last 24 hours.
The other figure expressed by the Ministry of Health, in its daily briefing to the press on the Covid-19 pandemic, concerns the situation in Mombasa, which has overtaken the capital Nairobi in the number of daily cases for two days.
Of the new cases, 11 are Kenyan citizens while 4 are foreign citizens. Seven are male and eight are female. Mombasa has the paternity of seven of the new cases, while six are from Nairobi and two from Mandera County, on the border with Somalia.
Nine of the new cases have been identified by the contact recovery team of the Ministry of Health, while six come from the quarantine centres set up for the emergency.
Chief Administrative Secretary of Health Mercy Mwangangi reiterated her call on Kenyans to take personal responsibility for fighting the virus, pointing out that too many young people are deliberately breaking curfews.
"I would like to remind you that we are in a situation of war against an enemy that does not respect age, race, status, sex or religion," said Mwangangi. "I thank all the shops that are increasingly organized to provide disinfectants and soap and water to their customers.
The Ministry of Health also announced that the Kenya Medical Association (KMA) has launched a new programme called "Saa Sita" which every week will give the right emphasis to health workers and reward them, reflecting a practice seen in the UK.
The guard is still very high in the two most important Kenyan cities, so much so that the Government has convened to consider a total lockdown solution in the most hotspot-risk neighbourhoods of Nairobi and Mombasa.