The number of COVID-19 infections in Kenya surpassed the 280,000 mark on Saturday even as the country seeks to boost vaccinations by making it compulsory to access government services.

According to the health ministry, 3,749 people tested positive for the disease from a sample size of 11,460 tested in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 281,358.

In the same period, two patients succumbed to the disease, bringing the total number of virus-related fatalities to 5,359.

The East African country has seen a recent spike in the number of new daily cases, with the positivity rate jumping from below 10 percent to over 30 percent.

The government is banking on its mass vaccination drive to better protect the public form the virus.

So far, the exercise that started in March 2021 has seen a total of 9,534,806 vaccines administered, with 3,916,511 people fully inoculated.

To better these numbers, the government recently announced that proof of vaccination will be required in public places such as national parks, game reserves, hotels, bars and restaurants. Public transport operators will also be required to demand vaccination proof for all travelers.

All visitors, tourists and travelers from Europe must be fully vaccinated and provide proof before entry into the country.

Besides the vaccination drive, various containment measures also remain in place, including mandatory wearing of face masks and a ban on large public gatherings.