• The Health Ministry says the move is aimed at fighting the stigma associated with the virus.
• So far, 438 Kenyans have succumbed to the virus since the first case was reported in on March 13. The ministry confirmed 15 deaths on Tuesday.
Image: MAGDALINE SAYA
Families may soon be allowed to participate in the final rites of their loved ones who succumb to Covid-19.
The Health Ministry says the move is aimed at fighting the stigma associated with the virus. Having clinicians donning full personal protective equipment as pall bearers is not only intimidating but also leads to closure difficulties.
So far, 438 Kenyans have succumbed to the virus since the first case was reported in on March 13. The ministry confirmed 15 deaths on Tuesday.
Eleven of the 15 people who succumbed to the virus had underling health conditions.
The Health CAS Mercy Mwangangi said the case management team was reviewing protocols to see how family members can participate in burials.
The final position on the matter is yet to be arrived at.
“It does look very intimidating to have people donned in full protective gear during the burial of a loved one,” the CAS said.
“What we have determined, however, in terms of how we can further demystify this stigma is we are engaging with different communities to see if there is a possibility where we would be able to have the loved ones of the person who is deceased actually conduct that process,” she added.
Should the idea be endorsed, family members will be trained in wearing PPEs so that they handle the body.
“However it becomes important to note that at this point the policy position remains that it is very important to ensure those who are coming in direct contact with the body should indeed don full PPE because we want to protect those people and not take any chances.”
The number of positive cases in the country stood at 27,425 after 497 more cases were confirmed on Tuesday.
The new cases were from 4,171 samples. The total number of tests conducted since the first case is now 362,501.
On a positive note, 372 more people recovered from the virus, 315 from home-based care while 57 were discharged from hospitals.
This brings the total number of patients who have successfully undergone treatment to 13,867.
The new cases were aged between six months and 80 years, comprising of 312 men and 185 women.
Out of the total confirmed cases, 236 were from Nairobi, 47 from Kiambu, 26 from Kajiado, Mombasa and Machakos 19 cases each, Laikipia 18, Trans Nzoia and Kisumu 17 cases each, while Murang’a and Nandi had 11 cases each.
Nyeri and Busia recorded eight new infections each, Bomet seven, Uasin Gishu, Kericho, Kilifi, Nyamira and West Pokot all recorded five cases each while Garissa, Kirinyaga, Kisii, Lamu, Meru and Wajir all had three cases.
Nakuru, Embu, Kakamega, Kwale and Turkana had two, while Marsabit and Makueni had one case each.
Nairobi continues to lead in the number of cumulative cases after recording 16,196 cases, followed by Mombasa with 2,154. Kiambu comes third with 1,964 while Kajiado and Machakos have 1,514 and 971 cases respectively.
Edited by Henry Makori