According to the Kenyan Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe, 80% of Kenyan patients found positive for the Covid-19 virus in the country are asymptomatic and, after being admitted to the designated medical facilities, could continue with assisted quarantine at home.
Kagwe, in the usual press conference of his department at Afya House in Nairobi, which he led on Thursday, June 4, announced that in the previous 24 hours 124 people tested positive for 2,640 coronavirus samples, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 2,340 out of 87,693 swabs used. The number of patients still active is 1670.
Of the new positives, 119 are Kenyan citizens, two Tanzanians and one Eritrean.
It should be noted that these figures do not include foreigners, particularly truck drivers, stopped at the borders with Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia and Somalia, who, once tested and found positive, were sent back across the border.
In terms of counties, Mombasa had 40 cases, Nairobi 38, Busia 26 and Kajiado 6, Kiambu 3, Garissa 2, Taita-Taveta 2 and five other counties have a positive each. Elgeyo Marakwet had its first infection, bringing the total number of affected counties to 36 out of 47.
Most of the positives detected come from quarantine facilities, such as Mvita in Mombasa and Kibera in Nairobi.
The number of patients declared cured is always high, yesterday there were 39 and bring the number of discharged to 592. On the other hand, there are 4 deaths related to Covid-19 (but not always with the virus as the main cause), which brings the total count to 78.
"One patient in five of those hospitalized is asymptomatic - said the Minister - so it can be safely managed from home. This would reduce congestion in health facilities.
The regulations of the World Health Organization, however, must be maintained and the facilities will be monitored. The government will continue to help in the event that individual houses do not have the conditions to be used as quarantine".
In announcing a national government grant to the counties of 5 billion shillings for the containment of the Coronavirus, Kagwe also sent a message to his people and to the many international players looking to Kenya's present and future. This disbursement will allow the counties to manage their existing facilities.
"We have been "in the classroom", we have learned how to manage this pandemic and the time has come to manage the issue personally, with our system and in our environments - said the Minister of Health - the fundamental thing is to be warriors and allies among us. With discipline and respect, to avoid having more problems than we already have. I appeal to the Kenyans to understand that asymptomatic patients will not be a danger to you and that you should not stigmatize them.
Kagwe also revealed that Kenya has also received a 56 billion grant for children's health from Gavi, an international foundation that improves access to childhood vaccines.