Uhuru address on Friday, experts say Covid in third wave

President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to Friday lay down a revised plan to combat the coronavirus in the wake of a warning by health experts of a third Covid-19 wave. 

The Health Ministry has reported a surge in new virus infections, with ICU beds in Nairobi full by Tuesday evening. 

On Wednesday 713 new cases were reported from a sample size of 5,230.  This represents a positivity rate of 13.6 per cent —  the highest since January.

ICU cases soared, with 89 patients admitted on Wednesday. Another 28 patients were separately on supplemental oxygen. Hospital admissions were 563 with another 1,588 under the home-based care .

Counties have been advised to ensure their 300 Covid-19 beds are available. 

“Even as we increase the sample size to a minimum of 7,000 having received the necessary reagents the sheer number itself tells you the whole story,” Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said on Wednesday.

“I, therefore, want to support and agree with CoG that now the time has come to start looking back at some of the measures that we have taken whether to increase and to stop and make some mandatory requirements of our population.” 

The Council of Governors said political rallies were fueling the virus in the country. The governors urged the President to ban all rallies for 30 days.  

“I wish to bring to your attention that we are currently dealing with the third wave of the virus which is severe. In this regard, the CoG together with the Ministry of Health will relook at the existing protocols with a view to containing the current wave,” CoG chair Martin Wambora said.

Experts from the Kenya Medical Research Institute had in January given a projection of a possible surge in Covid-19 numbers and deaths in mid-March.

The researches estimated that in the most feasible scenario, the country was likely to record between 106,000 and 168,000 new Covid-19 cases and at least 116 more deaths by June 1.

The projected surge in numbers was attributed to the reopening of schools on January 4 and the December festivities.

Kagwe warned of another difficult period but said the experience of overcoming the first two would help overcome also this one.

“This time around people feel tired, I am tired as well. People are strained, it has taken a toll on us over the last one year but we also know that it is at this time when we feel the way we feel that we can let our guard down, adopt an 'I don’t care attitude' but then we will be hit hardest,” Kagwe said.

(edited by o. owino)