A worker disinfects a street of downtown Tunis, in Tunisia on Oct. 8, 2020. Tunisian Health Ministry on Thursday reported 2,357 new COVID-19 cases and 45 more deaths, raising the total number of infections to 26,899 and the death count to 409. A 15-day curfew started on Thursday in the capital Tunis, which lasts from 9 p.m. local time (20:00 GMT) to 5 a.m. (04:00 GMT) from Monday to Friday, and from 7 p.m. local time to 5 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. (Photo by Adel Ezzine/Xinhua)
TUNIS, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian Health Ministry on Thursday reported 2,357 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total number of infections to 26,899.
The death toll from the virus rose by 45 to 409 in the North African country, it said in a statement.
The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients reached 554, including 129 in intensive care units and 53 others are mechanically ventilated, it said.
A total of 262,879 lab tests have been carried out by Oct. 7, according to the data issued by the ministry.
A 15-day curfew started on Thursday in the capital Tunis, which lasts from 9 p.m. local time (20:00 GMT) to 5 a.m. (04:00 GMT) from Monday to Friday, and from 7 p.m. local time to 5 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The Tunisian government has imposed strict preventive measures after the detection of the first coronavirus case in early March.
The country has received several batches of medical aid from China since late March to help its fight against the pandemic.
