The Ministry of Health has called on Kenya's counties to raise the pandemic alert level and tighten infection control and prevention measures after evidence of new variants of the virus, particularly the strains arriving from Britain and South Africa, were found in the country.
In a communiqué sent to all county governments, signed by Director General of Health Patrick Amoth, the possibility that these variants of the virus could pose a danger to the country is denounced, as they have been shown to transmit the infection more quickly, "although there is no evidence that they could be more dangerous than those present until now," Amoth explains.
The government is calling for increased controls in the entrance areas of each county, with temperature readings, social distances and the use of masks.
"Increase risk communication and community engagement activities to re-establish public awareness of the public health implications of the new variants and emphasise the importance of maintaining ongoing preventive measures to minimise transmission," the statement reads.
Amoth points out that the current situation in Kenya is nevertheless under control, with still low rates of positive swabs and no worrying peaks or outbreaks of transmission. However, the recent discovery of British soldiers in the Kenyan training camp in Nanyuki has put the authorities on high alert, as they fear a new wave of a Covid-19 strain that has not been sufficiently evaluated in the country.
Speaking about the general situation in the health sector, Minister Mutahi Kagwe outlined the data of the last 24 hours: "Currently 386 patients are admitted in various health facilities across the country, while 1,315 are in isolation and home care. 37 patients are in the intensive care unit, thirteen of whom are on ventilatory support and 21 on supplementary oxygen".