DAKAR, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Senegal on Monday reported 10 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 377 in the west African country.

The 10 were five follow-up contact cases and five community transmission ones, Marie Khemesse Ngom Ndiaye, director general of public health and president of the National Committee for the Management of Epidemics, told a daily briefing.

A total of 281 tests were conducted within the past 24 hours.

An additional 15 hospitalized patients were tested negative and declared cured by the health authorities, bringing total recoveries to 235.

However, early Monday morning, the health ministry reported two new deaths related to COVID-19. The two, 68 and 75, passed away in Fann Hospital in Dakar.

Senegal has so far reported 377 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Among those confirmed cases, 250 are close contact cases, 85 imported ones and 42 community transmission ones.

Five patients have died of COVID-19 in Senegal.

According to the Chinese Embassy to Senegal, the first batch of medical supplies donated by the Chinese government will arrive in Senegal on Monday afternoon.

Facing an increasing number of community transmission cases, Senegalese Minister of the Interior Aly Ngouille Ndiaye on Sunday ordered the mandatory wearing of protective masks in certain public places.

Authorities also opened on Sunday the first COVID-19 screening camp in the sprawling suburbs of the capital, Dakar.

According to Racine Talla, mayor of the commune of Wakhinane Nimzath where the center is located, the installation of this screening center constituted a response to community transmission cases which have greatly worried the Senegalese government.

On April 4, president Macky Sall extended the state of emergency dusk-to-dawn curfew for 30 more days, till May 4.

Senegal, which reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case on March 2, suspended all international passenger flights on March 20. Enditem

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