Kenya's COVID-19 infections surpass 240,000 mark

A Kenyan man receives a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at Makongeni Estate in Nairobi, Kenya Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021./CFP

Kenya's total number of COVID-19 infections surpassed the 240,000 mark on Sunday even as the country ramps up vaccination to contain further spread of the virus.

The health ministry reported 480 new cases from tests conducted in the past 24 hours, taking the country's cumulative infections to 240,172.

In the same period, eight more deaths were recorded, taking the total number of virus-related fatalities to 4,876.

Kenya is banking on increased vaccination to stop the virus from spreading even further around the country.

The East African nation rolled out its mass vaccination exercise in March, initially targeting the elderly, healthcare workers and people with underlying health conditions.

By Sunday, a total of 2,862,528 doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered, with the number of fully inoculated persons being 812,151.