Kenya's health ministry on Tuesday confirmed 727 new cases of COVID-19 from 4,913 samples tested in the last 24 hours, bringing the number of confirmed positive infections to 78,512.

So far Kenya has tested 848,016 samples since March.

The health ministry said the new cases included 705 Kenyans and 22 foreigners.

The Ministry of Health also announced 806 patients recovered from the virus with 701 on the home-based care program while 105 were discharged from various hospitals bringing the total number of recoveries to 52,709.

According to Dr. Mercy Mwangangi, Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) of Health, there are 51 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 29 of whom are on ventilatory support, and 18 on supplemental oxygen while 12 are in the High Dependency Unit (HDU). Another 106 patients are separately on supplementary oxygen out of whom 94 are in the general wards.

A total of 1,196 are admitted in various health facilities while 7,139 are on Home Based Isolation and Care.

The death toll from the virus has also risen to 1,409 after 17 more patients succumbed to the virus.

Mwangangi stated that the ministry will not tire to remind citizens the need to wash hands with soap and water, wearing of face masks at all times in public places, maintaining social and physical distance while stressing the importance of avoiding all public gatherings be they social or political.