Health Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Mercy Mwangangi, on Sunday, April 19, announced that 8 individuals had tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases within the country to 270.
The new cases came after the Ministry of Health (MoH) tested 1,330 samples in the last 24 hours.
“7 are Kenyans and 1 a foreign national. None has a history of travel. Three emanated from our quarantine centers and 5 were picked up by our surveillance teams from various parts of the country,” she announced.
Speaking outside Afya House, Nairobi during the daily presser, the CAS also revealed that the ministry’s efforts to contain imported cases were seemingly successful, however, the rate of new cases within the country was a cause of concern, she reiterated.
“56% of confirmed cases in Kenya were imported, we have succeeded in containing the imports, We are now worried about local transmission,” she disclosed.
It was also revealed that 2 more patients had succumbed to the virus, thus raising the total number of deaths to 14.
Regarding the new cases, 4 were from Mombasa, 3 from Nairobi and 1 from Kajiado County.
Mwangangi also addressed the rising concern regarding Kenyans caught flouting the measures set to curb the spread of the virus.
“All those who break the curfew rules will be assumed to have been in contact & will hence be taken to quarantine places for 14 days,” she warned.
She further revealed that the government would deploy technological surveillance to arrest those congregating after curfew.
According to the CAS, there have been several cases of individuals crossing the various roadblocks set up following President Uhuru Kenyatta’s cessation of movement order.
“Nobody has the authority to clear anybody to move from Nairobi other than the Ministry of Health,” she asserted.
Watch Mwangangi’s presser below: