DAKAR, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Senegal reported 17 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bring the total number of confirmed cases to 367 in the West African country, Senegalese Ministry of Health and Social Action has announced.

During the daily COVID-19 briefing, Director General of Public Health and President of the National Committee for the Management of Epidemics, Doctor Marie Khemesse Ngom Ndiaye said 17 of the 313 virological examinations carried out within the past 24 hours came back positive, including 15 follow-up contact cases and 2 cases of community transmission.

According to her, nine more hospitalized patients tested negative, therefore they were declared cured by the health authorities of the country, bring the total number of discharged patients to 220.

So far, Senegal has reported 367 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since March 2, the start of the pandemic in Senegal. Among those confirmed cases, 245 are close contacts cases, 85 are imported ones and 37 are due to community transmission.

Three patients died of COVID-19 and one was evacuated back to France.

Facing the increasing number of community transmission cases, Senegalese Minister of Health and Social Action Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr strongly recommended the population to wear face masks at public places, including markets and public transports.

Senegalese President Macky Sall said Friday evening the daily curfew could be extended by three hours in a bid to contain the rise of community transmission cases.

Sall extended the current state of emergency in a presidential decree on April 4, along with the dusk-to-dawn curfew for 30 days, till May 4. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)