Kenya's COVID-19 infections reach 224,400

Passengers wearing protective face masks wash their hands at hand cleaning stations installed outside the Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Terminus in Nairobi, on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020. (Patrick Meinhardt/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Kenya's health ministry on Wednesday reported 1,506 new COVID-19 infections from a sample size of 9,840 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, taking the country's total number of confirmed cases to 224,400.

In the same period, 24 deaths were recorded, taking the country's cumulative virus-related fatalities to 4,378.

Both the number of infections and deaths registered by Kenya are the seventh-highest in Africa.

The East African country is experiencing a third wave of the pandemic, with a steady increase in its caseload and death toll.

In response, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced an extension of COVID-19 containment measures by 60 days.

The government-imposed measures include bans on large public gatherings, a nationwide nighttime curfew and the mandatory wearing of face coverings.

Kenya embarked on a nationwide vaccination campaign starting March in efforts to curb further spread of the virus.

By Wednesday, 2,154,825 jabs had been administered, 760,920 of which were second doses.

The country is still looking to ramp up the vaccination efforts, with the expected arrival of additional vaccines.