A nurse is seen in the hallway of Fann's hospital in Dakar, Senegal, on Aug 6, 2020. (Xinhua/Eddy Peters)
Senegal's COVID-19 cases surpassed the 20,000 mark with 192 new confirmed cases detected in the past 24 hours, the country's health ministry announced.
According to the briefing of the Senegalese Ministry of Health and Social Action, some 1,540 tests were carried out in the past 24 hours, among which 192 returned positive, bringing the total number of Senegal's COVID-19 cases to 20,156 since March 2, 2020.
Apart from one imported case recorded at Dakar's international airport, 47 close contact cases and 144 community transmission cases were reported.
Ninety-two patients recovered during the same period, bringing the cumulative number of recovere cases to 17,782, while 23 others are treated in intensive care units across the country.
The ministry also reported 5 additional deaths in 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 433 due to COVID-19 in Senegal.
Senegalese President Macky Sall declared Tuesday night a reimposition of a state of emergency and a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Wednesday in the regions of Dakar and Thies in order to contain the quick spread of the coronavirus.
Speaking on national television after an emergency meeting of the National Epidemic Management Committee, Sall said that these two regions accounted for more than 90 percent of confirmed cases in Senegal.
He announced that the government would detail the measures to be adopted in this new phase at a Council of Ministers meeting on Wednesday.
Sall lifted the curfew and the state of emergency on June 29, 2020 after several months of semi-lockdown.
