A top Kenyan medic, Dr Chibanzi Mwachonda who doubles up as the interim Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) secretary-general has tested positive for Covid-19.
Mwachonda in a statement on Friday told Kenyans that together with his family, they are safe and contact tracing is ongoing.
He is on self-isolation.
“My family is safe, contact tracing and testing of all close contacts is ongoing,” he said.
He warned that the virus is now on its peak and community transmission is a big risk that every Kenyan must fight to keep away.
He, however, insisted that no one should be stigmatized for falling ill and urged other health workers to continue keeping safe as they help the affected.
“The high number of recoveries gives us hope that we shall as a nation, win this war against the invisible enemy upon us.
“To my colleagues on the frontline, we soldier on in the service to humanity cognizant of the great risk of infection to all of us,” Mwachonda added.
He is among over 600 health workers who have tested positive for coronavirus in Kenya,
Two weeks ago, a gynecologist, Dr Doreen Lugaliki succumbed to the virus which she reportedly contracted at the Nairobi South Hospital where she worked.
The 38-year-old medic is said to have been diagnosed with months before the pandemic kicked in.
On Thursday, 778 new cases were recorded bringing the total number of coronavirus cases to 19,913.
On Friday, Health CS Mutahi Kagwe announced that 723 people tested positive for coronavirus.
The total caseload is now 20,636.
A total of 8,679 samples were tested bringing total samples tested so far to 303,959.
Of the 723 positive cases, 450 are male and 273 are female while the youngest case is 9-month-old and the oldest is aged 87.
Some 44 other patients have been discharged from hospital bringing the total recoveries to 8,165.
Sixteen patients were discharged bringing total recoveries to 341.
