DAKAR, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Senegalese ministry of Health and Social Action reported Thursday 37 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 479 in the country.
Among the 387 virological examinations carried out within the past 24 hours, 37 came back positive, including 29 follow-up contact cases and 8 cases of community transmission, spokesman of Senegalese health ministry Alyose Waly Diouf announced during the daily COVID-19 briefing.
According to him, 4 more patients tested negative after treatments, bringing the total number of cured to 257 in Senegal.
"No serious case has been reported till now. The condition of health of the hospitalized patients is stable," he added.
He also urged people to strictly respect collective and individual prevention measures.
So far, Senegal has reported 479 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since March 2, the start of the pandemic in Senegal. Among those confirmed cases, 339 are close contacts cases, 85 are imported ones and 55 are due to community transmission.
Six patients have lost their lives to COVID-19.
The second batch of medical aids offered by Chinese government to Senegal was received this Wednesday by Senegalese minister of Health and Social Action Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr in Dakar, Senegal.
Sarr thanked, on behalf of Senegalese president Macky Sall and Senegalese government, for the assistance and solidarity China have offered in his country's fight against COVID-19.
Facing the increasing number of community transmission cases, Senegalese Minister of the Interior, Aly Ngouille Ndiaye, issued Sunday evening a decree ordering the mandatory wearing of protective masks in certain public places. The Senegalese authorities also opened Sunday the first COVID-19 screening camp in the large suburbs of Dakar.
Senegalese President Macky 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. To fight against COVID-19, the country has isolated itself since March 20 midnight when all its international passenger flights were suspended. Enditem
