On 2 March 2020, a 54-year-old man from France was the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Senegal, living in the Almadies Arrondissement of Dakar, having been tested positive at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar. He had travelled on Air Senegal on 29 February 2020. Senegal became the second Sub-Saharan country to report confirmed cases after Nigeria. The second confirmed case of COVID-19 was a French expat who came to Dakar from France. They are quoted as being in a "comfortable" condition. By 4 March, the number of cases rose to four, with both cases being foreign nationals. The first case was the wife of the first case in Senegal, who arrived in the country on 19 February. The other case was a Briton from London, who came to Senegal on 24 February. Basketball Africa League postponed the start of their inaugural season on 6 March 2020, which would have taken place in Dakar. This came as fear mounted over religious events and travel, especially those related to the Grand Magal, a Mouride festivity which occurs in Touba. On 10 March, Senegalese Health Minister :fr:Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr|Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr told local press that the government would call off religious events if advised to do so. On the same day, a Senegalese national returning from Italy confirmed positive, becoming the fifth case in the country. On 12 March, five more cases were announced in Senegal, which were family members of a confirmed case of the Senegalese national returning from Italy. One of the victims was in the holy city of Touba, despite many people being convinced by clerics that they were immune to the coronavirus. As of 15 March, there were 24 confirmed cases in Senegal. Senegal imposed travel restrictions, banned cruise ships, and closed schools for three weeks in response to the coronavirus. They also banned public gatherings for a month, including Muslim and Christian pilgrimages. On 23 March, Senegal declared a state of emergency. By the end of the month there had been 175 confirmed cases, 40 of whom recovered while 135 remained active cases at the end of the month.
April 2020
In April there 758 new cases, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 933. The death toll was 9. The number of recovered patients increased to 334, leaving 590 active cases at the end of the month.
May 2020
Senegal experienced a 30% rise in COVID-19 infections on May 11 and eased restrictions on mosques and churches and relaxed the curfew on May 12. Senegal has reported 1,886 coronavirus cases and 19 deaths. During May there were 2712 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 3645. The death toll rose to 42. The number of recovered patients increased to 1801, leaving 1802 active cases at the end of the month.
June 2020
There were 3148 new cases in June, bringing the total number of cases to 6793. The death toll rose to 112. The number of recovered patients increased to 4431, leaving 2250 active cases at the end of the month.
Health education
In Senegal, graffiti artists engage actively in the fight against the coronavirus, by creating murals relating to COVID-19 on city walls, to spread information and warn the population and also to support healthcare personnel confronting the disease.
Literature
Leveau Mac Elhone, A., 2020. '', Paris : Éditions Dapper.
