RABAT, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Morocco registered 249 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, raising the tally of infections in the country to 15,328, the Ministry of Health said.
The death toll from the virus reached 243 as one fatality was recorded in the last 24 hours, said Hind Ezzine, head of the department of epidemic diseases of the Ministry of Health, at a regular press briefing.
The number of cured patients has increased to 11,827 with 380 new recoveries, she added.
Morocco announced on Thursday one-month extension of the state of health emergency since March 24 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Morocco has started to ease the anti-coronavirus restrictions.
A day earlier, Morocco announced that the country's air and sea borders would be gradually reopened starting on July 14, but only for residents in the North African country.
On June 25, cafes and restaurants were allowed to reopen with no more than 50 percent of their capacities.
Shopping malls, commercial centers, leisure and entertainment stores were also allowed to reopen, while inter-city public transport and domestic flights resumed on June 25 under specific conditions.
China has helped Morocco in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
A batch of medical supplies donated by the government of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region was transported on June 8 to Casablanca-Settat in Morocco.
On May 14, China Development Bank sent a batch of donation, including respirators and medical protective masks, to help Morocco fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
China's Guizhou Province also donated 15,000 surgical gloves, 20,000 medical masks and 2,000 protective suits to help protect Moroccan medical workers fighting the pandemic. Enditem
