Cases Rise but Vaccinations Begin
In Kenya, confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose sharply throughout March and the current number of confirmed cases and test positivity rate are among the highest they have been since the start of the pandemic.
Over the last week, test positivity has been 14-26 percent each day. During the course of the pandemic, there have been more than 132,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 2,100 people have died in Kenya as a result of the virus.
On Friday, March 26, President Kenyatta announced new mitigation measures including: restriction of movement into or out of a zone including the counties of Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu and Nakuru; suspension of all in-person learning at all educational institutions except students sitting for exams or those in medical training institutions; suspension of all sporting activities; limiting hospital visitors and allowing employees to work from home when possible. To ensure adherence with the order, the AMPATH Research Program provided new guidance to investigators.
The AMPATH partnership lost a colleague and friend. Allan Kamanda, study coordinator for the Orphaned and Separated Children’s Assessments Related to their Health and Well-being (OSCAR) research study, passed away. “Allan Kamanda was more than 'Master Administrator' as I used to call him. He was a trusted friend and mentor to many people across all walks of life, including myself, and his absence leaves a big hole in many people's lives, including his children and parents. He is greatly missed,” said Dr. Paula Braitstein. We send our condolences to his family and friends for this tremendous loss.
The Kenya Ministry of Health continues to remind everyone that containment measures such as washing hands with soap and water, wearing face masks, social distancing and avoiding gatherings are critical. More than 1,300 people are currently hospitalized in facilities across the country with an additional 4,700 on home-based isolation and care.
On a positive note, vaccinations began earlier this month and healthcare and other frontline workers and those 58 and older are now eligible to receive the vaccine. The Kenya Ministry of Health reports that more than 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine have been received from India and more than 800,000 doses have been distributed to regional distribution sites. The Ministry of Health reports that more than 130,000 people have been vaccinated.
Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital is a vaccination site and AMPATH staff members have begun to receive vaccinations. With support from USAID, AMPATHPlus will also begin sensitization and education campaigns in several of the counties where they have clinics and programs to promote uptake of the vaccines as they become available.