DAKAR, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Senegalese Ministry of Health and Social Action announced on Saturday 106 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of infections to 3,535 in the country.
Out of 1,370 tests carried out in the past 24 hours, 106 returned positive, including 94 follow-up contact cases and 12 community transmission cases, Senegalese health minister Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr said during the daily briefing.
Sarr said a total of 23 patients tested negative, thus declared cured, raising the total number of recoveries to 1,761 since the outbreak of the pandemic on March 2 in the country.
The number of patients under intensive care dropped from 20 to 14, while the number of deaths rose to 42 with a new death registered early Saturday morning.
Of the 3,535 confirmed cases, there are 329 community transmission cases, 91 imported ones and 3,105 follow-up contact cases.
The minister said that Dakar, with 2,619 cases, is the epicenter of the pandemic in Senegal, which requires an urgent reinforced strategy in this region.
"If we lose our grip in Dakar, the fight risks being lost at national level," he stressed.
Senegalese President Macky Sall decided Friday to extend the state of emergency by 30 days, while all international passenger flights are suspended until June 30. Wearing a mask is also mandatory in all public places. Enditem
