Senegal's COVID-19 cases surpass 12,000 mark with 160 new infections

A volunteer shows the waste he collected along the sea-side avenue Corniche in Dakar, Senegal, on July 19. (Photo by Eddy Peters/Xinhua)

Senegal's COVID-19 cases have surpassed the 12,000 mark. Senegal has reported 251 COVID-19 deaths.

DAKAR, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Senegal's COVID-19 cases surpassed on Saturday the 12,000-mark after 160 more cases were reported in the past 24 hours by the country's health ministry.

Out of 1,886 tests conducted in the past 24 hours in two qualified labs, the ministry received 160 positive results, bring the total number of COVID-19 cases to 12,032 in Senegal.

According to the spokesperson of the ministry Dr. Mamadou Ndiaye, the newly confirmed cases contain 67 follow-up contact cases, two imported ones detected at airport, and 91 community transmission cases.

People wait to enter a bank in central Dakar, Senegal, on July 21, 2020. (Photo by Eddy Peters/Xinhua)

Senegal has been reporting more community transmission cases than follow-up contact cases since over a week. This is due to the Tabaski festival celebration when many Senegalese travelled back home around the end of July.

With 22 more patients discharged from hospitals and treatment centers, the cumulative number of recoveries reached 7,637 since the outbreak of the pandemic on March 2 in Senegal, Dr. Ndiaye added.

The death toll also continues to rise. With two additional deaths recorded by the health authorities, Senegal has reported 251 COVID-19 related deaths, a fatality rate of 2.08 percent.