Senegal president eases virus lockdown

SENEGAL LOCKDOWN

Coronavirus restrictions will be eased in Senegal, President Macky Sall said late on Monday, with night-time curfews shortened and mosques reopened.

While confirming the rules would change on Tuesday, Sall said in a televised address that Senegalese would need to "adapt individual and collective behaviour" and "learn to live with the virus".

He said the COVID-19 disease would continue to circulate for at least another three months even under the best-case scenario.

Under the new rules, curfews will run from 9:00 pm to 5:00 am, shaving two hours off the current restrictions.

Mosques will be reopened for prayers during the holy month of Ramadan, and churches will also be allowed to accept worshippers.

Markets and businesses, which have only been allowed to open a few days a week during the lockdown, will now only need to be closed for a day's cleaning each week.

Restrictions imposed on public transport will also be eased, though schools will not begin reopening until next month.

Senegal has been relatively lightly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, suffering 1,886 cases and 19 fatalities, according to the official figures.

The authorities did not impose a total lockdown but the borders were closed and travel between the main cities was banned.