NAIROBI —Eight individuals have tested positive for coronavirus in Kenya, bringing the total tally of confirmed cases to 270, health minister Mercy Mwangangi, announced on Sunday.
The new cases were identified after authorities tested 1,330 samples in the last 24 hours.
“7 are Kenyans while one is a foreign national, ” she announced, adding that none has a history of travel.
“Three emanated from our quarantine centers and five were picked up by our surveillance teams from various parts of the country,” she added.
She revealed that the ministry’s efforts to contain imported cases were seemingly successful, however, the rate of new cases within the East Africa’s biggest economy was a cause of concern.
“56% of confirmed cases in Kenya were imported, we have succeeded in containing the imports, We are now worried about local transmission,” she revealed.
It was also revealed that two more patients had succumbed to the virus, thus raising the total number of deaths to 14.
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.
