Ministry of Health has warned that the country will go back to lockdown and closing of schools if we experience increased cases of Covid-19.

Health CAS Rashid Aman said that Covid-19 numbers are rising in unmanageable manner.

“We will have to face it. If we find that the numbers are rising and unmanageable we will have to take action to restrict movements perhaps even go back. It is a possibility that we could go back to closing schools if we see that,” Aman had said.

Covid-19 cases have been rising exponetially in the recent days.

On Tuesday, for instance, out of 2,592 samples tested in 24 hours, 318 positive cases were identified, signifying a positivity rate of more than 12 per cent.

Ten more patients died on Tuesday, raising the fatalities to 787.

The Health Ministry has raised the alarm over exponential increase of Covid-19 cases in the past week after the rate jumped above the WHO-recommended five per cent.

The rise in cases has been attributed to the relaxation of some of the containment measures put in place by the National Emergency Response Committee at the onset of the virus.

In the previous weeks, the positivity rate has been slightly below five per cent, with the ministry warning that should Kenyans drop the ball, the gains achieved would be reversed.

Health CAS Rashid Aman has warned that a second wave of the infection might be inevitable unless Kenyans adhere to the containment measures and protocols.

 “For instance, you can note that today our positivity rate was above 12 per cent. These positivity rates may fluctuate over time but when we look at the seven-day moving average and we begin to see that we are moving above the five per cent positivity rate it is a sign that we are moving in the wrong direction,” the CAS said.

“To avoid moving in that wrong direction we need to be able to strictly adhere to the measures, avoid public gatherings of any nature, whether social, political, entertainment. They are one of the biggest sources of infection.” he added.

The government will also be closely monitoring the situation in schools, with plans underway to conduct some tests there to ascertain transmission among the students.

Consequently, the government will monitor the rate of Covid-19 infections in the next few days and take appropriate action should the situation warrant it.

The ministry has also warned against spraying or fumigation of school children, saying it is against the recommended protocols.

He added: “However one of the things that are coming out from a lot of work that is being done outside is that the risks of children spreading as thought earlier is not as bad as was considered before.”

The caseload in the country is 41,937 from 595,791 tests conducted so far since March.

Nine of the new cases were foreigners;  215 were men and 103 women aged between three months and 90 years old.

Nairobi recorded the highest number of new infections with 112 cases followed by Uasin Gishu with 30, Mombasa with 29, Nakuru with 25, Busia with 24, Kisii with 21and Kisumu with 19.

Kakamega and Murang’a had eight cases each, Kilifi had six, Laikipia, Kiambu and Embu each had five cases, Homa Bay reported four, Trans Nzoia and Turkana had three cases each, Machakos, Isiolo, Kajiado had two cases each while Nyandarua, garissa, Tharaka Nithi, Vihiga and Kirinyaga recorded one case each.

The ministry said 243 more patients recovered from the virus; 132 from the home-based care programme while 111 were released from various hospitals. 

The number of recovered patients is 31,340.

Ministry of Health has warned that the country will go back to lockdown and closing of schools if we experience increased cases of Covid-19.

Health CAS Rashid Aman said that Covid-19 numbers are rising in unmanageable manner.

“We will have to face it. If we find that the numbers are rising and unmanageable we will have to take action to restrict movements perhaps even go back. It is a possibility that we could go back to closing schools if we see that,” Aman had said.

Covid-19 cases have been rising exponetially in the recent days.

On Tuesday, for instance, out of 2,592 samples tested in 24 hours, 318 positive cases were identified, signifying a positivity rate of more than 12 per cent.

Ten more patients died on Tuesday, raising the fatalities to 787.

The Health Ministry has raised the alarm over exponential increase of Covid-19 cases in the past week after the rate jumped above the WHO-recommended five per cent.

The rise in cases has been attributed to the relaxation of some of the containment measures put in place by the National Emergency Response Committee at the onset of the virus.

In the previous weeks, the positivity rate has been slightly below five per cent, with the ministry warning that should Kenyans drop the ball, the gains achieved would be reversed.

Health CAS Rashid Aman has warned that a second wave of the infection might be inevitable unless Kenyans adhere to the containment measures and protocols.

 “For instance, you can note that today our positivity rate was above 12 per cent. These positivity rates may fluctuate over time but when we look at the seven-day moving average and we begin to see that we are moving above the five per cent positivity rate it is a sign that we are moving in the wrong direction,” the CAS said.

“To avoid moving in that wrong direction we need to be able to strictly adhere to the measures, avoid public gatherings of any nature, whether social, political, entertainment. They are one of the biggest sources of infection.” he added.

The government will also be closely monitoring the situation in schools, with plans underway to conduct some tests there to ascertain transmission among the students.

Consequently, the government will monitor the rate of Covid-19 infections in the next few days and take appropriate action should the situation warrant it.

The ministry has also warned against spraying or fumigation of school children, saying it is against the recommended protocols.

He added: “However one of the things that are coming out from a lot of work that is being done outside is that the risks of children spreading as thought earlier is not as bad as was considered before.”

The caseload in the country is 41,937 from 595,791 tests conducted so far since March.

Nine of the new cases were foreigners;  215 were men and 103 women aged between three months and 90 years old.

Nairobi recorded the highest number of new infections with 112 cases followed by Uasin Gishu with 30, Mombasa with 29, Nakuru with 25, Busia with 24, Kisii with 21and Kisumu with 19.

Kakamega and Murang’a had eight cases each, Kilifi had six, Laikipia, Kiambu and Embu each had five cases, Homa Bay reported four, Trans Nzoia and Turkana had three cases each, Machakos, Isiolo, Kajiado had two cases each while Nyandarua, garissa, Tharaka Nithi, Vihiga and Kirinyaga recorded one case each.

The ministry said 243 more patients recovered from the virus; 132 from the home-based care programme while 111 were released from various hospitals. 

The number of recovered patients is 31,340.