Kenya confirms first coronavirus death

Kenya’s government on Thursday confirmed the country’s first death from the coronavirus outbreak as the pandemic continues to spread across the globe.

A government spokesperson told Reuters that the total number of cases in the country increased by three, while one person had died. No other details were immediately available.

The total number of confirmed cases in Kenya now sits at 31, lower than some countries in Africa and far less than the number of confirmed cases that have been reported across Europe and Asia. As a continent, Africa still remains far behind the number of infections confirmed in Europe, North America and Asia.

Kenya’s president reportedly announced a new set of measures to control the virus’s spread and provide economic stimulus on Wednesday, including a nightly curfew and a tax relief program for lower-income Kenyans.

The directives were put in place after many Kenyans reportedly ignored government requests to avoid large public gatherings.

“If these measures are deemed to be inadequate, we shall without hesitation take … more drastic measures,” President Uhuru Kenyatta said, according to the Mercury News.

The virus has sickened more than 510,000 people globally, with more than 23,000 deaths worldwide.