NAIROBI, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A delegation from the African Union's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has completed a visit to inspect progress in Kenya's fight against the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
The team concluded the latest 11 percent rise in new infections was linked to a community spread that occurred during the first phase.
Ahmed Ogwell, Africa CDC Deputy Director said Thursday his visit to Nairobi to discuss the status of preparedness and the handling of the coronavirus pandemic yielded fruitful results in enhancing the response to the current disease outbreak as well as measures to contain future pandemic outbreaks.
"Kenya recognizes going into a second wave," Ogwell told reporters during a virtual webinar from the AU regional headquarters in Nairobi.
"The response in enforcing the public health measures to contain the spread such as wearing of masks, social distancing and sanitizing is continually being enforced," he added.
Kenya has recorded 80,102 cases of the coronavirus pandemic since its first case was reported in mid-March. At least 1,232 patients are currently admitted to various hospitals while 7,295 people are isolated at home to receive home-based care, the ministry of health said on Thursday.
Those in hospital include 57 patients who are critically ill and admitted to intensive care units in hospitals, the ministry of health said in figures issued on Thursday.
Ogwell expressed satisfaction at the level of preparedness to handle the pandemic in Kenya, saying hospitals in the country were not overwhelmed during the second wave of the coronavirus.
At least 1,427 people have died out of the coronavirus outbreak in Kenya.
"We have been assured by the ministry of health authorities that they are taking this second wave of infections very seriously," said Ogwell who addressed the Africa CDC's news briefing alongside the Director of the Addis Ababa-based body, John Nkengasong.
Nkengasong said another four-member delegation was preparing a mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has been dealing with repeated outbreaks of infectious pandemics, to inspect the level of preparedness and discuss preparations for the availability of potential vaccines in 2021. Enditem