KABUL, May 14 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan health authorities recorded 413 new COVID-19 cases across the country, the biggest daily increase since the outbreak of the pandemic in February, an official of Ministry of Public Health confirmed on Thursday.
The new statistics have brought the total number of people infected with the virus to 5,638 , among these 4,446 are active cases as of Thursday morning throughout the country, Deputy Minister of Public Health Ministry Wahid Majroh said.
On Wednesday, 259 infections were recorded and on May 10, the second biggest daily increase was registered with 361 cases, according to the official.
Four patients died since early Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 136, the official said.
The number of people who had showed improvement and discharged from hospitals stood at 691 after 43 patients recovered, he said.
To contain the pandemic, the Afghan government has put big cities including Kabul under quarantine since late March, calling on people to remain at home.
In a latest effort to support the COVID-19 response, the government has extended the quarantine for a third time for a further 21 days which is planned to end on May 30.
The deputy public health minister urged the people to adhere to the COVID-19 related restrictions in the country, particularly in the big cities, warning that the recent neglect of restrictions in the capital city Kabul had been a main factor for the increase of new coronavirus cases in the city as 118 new cases were registered in Kabul within a day.
The Afghan health authorities have confirmed that about 400 health personnel, including Public Health Minister Firuzuddin Firuz, had tested positive for the coronavirus. Enditem
