NAIROBI, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's total number of COVID-19 cases neared 9,000 mark on Thursday after the country confirmed 447 positive cases, the highest daily tally since the virus was reported in March, the health ministry said.
Mutahi Kagwe, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Health, said the latest infections are from 3,803 samples tested in the last 24 hours.
Kagwe said the cumulative number of tests conducted so far now stands at 200,311 and the total caseload in the country is 8,975.
"Today we have the highest number of positive cases since we reported the first case," Kagwe told journalists in a televised address from the coastal city of Mombasa.
He said that from the positive cases, 405 are Kenyans while 42 are foreigners, aged from 1 to 88 years old.
"Today, we are also happy to inform you that 64 patients have been discharged from various hospitals, bringing the total number of recoveries to 2,657," he said.
Kagwe said four more patients succumbed to the disease, bringing fatality count to 173.
The official revealed that since the disease was reported in Kenya, the number of children testing positive has been on a steady rise compared to other age groups.
"We are worried by the high number of children that we have been testing since the outbreak of the disease," he added.
Kagwe called on people with young children to be extra careful and avoid visits by relatives to save their children from being infected by the virus.
According to Kagwe, with the relaxation of some health restrictions in the country, the responsibility now shifts to everyone.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday lifted a ban on cessation of movements in three counties of Nairobi, Mombasa and Mandera. Enditem
