The Council of Governors now says that Kenya’s decreasing COVID-19 positivity rate is as a result of lack of testing kits.
According to Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o, who chairs the council’s health committee, testing across all counties has slowed down due to lack of testing kits.
“This therefore means that county governments have no control over the increasing number of infections,” the Kisumu Governor said in a statement on Wednesday.
He warned that the virus is spreading rapidly and could overstretch the county health facilities.
“We therefore urge the Ministry of Health to avail rapid testing kits (antigens) and PCR COVID-19 testing equipment to all counties to stem the spread of the virus,” he added.
Latest statistics show that Kenya has a 10.8% COVID-19 positivity rate with total number of cases at 152,523, while total number of deaths are 2,519.
When President Uhuru Kenyatta announced new travel restrictions and zoning of Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu and Nakuru counties on March 26 this year, the positivity rate had hit 22% compared to January’s 2%.
On Wednesday, the COG said they have engaged the Health Ministry to avail testing kits to counties to ensure proper documentation of the magnitude of the disease within the communities and proper reporting of the factual situation which will then lead to proper response measures.