(Bloomberg) --
Senegal President Macky Sall renewed calls for people to avoid gatherings ahead of the West African nation's most celebrated holiday due to a surge in coronavirus cases.
“I remind my compatriots to limit gatherings and movements,” Sall said in a speech broadcast on state television RTS Friday.
“If the rate of contaminations continues, I will take all the measures that the situation requires,” including returning to a state of emergency, closing borders, and imposing movement restrictions, he said.
The appeal comes days before the Eid al-Kebir holiday, known as Tabaski in the predominantly Muslim country. Wednesday's religious celebration is marked by families coming together to slaughter a sheep, roast its meat and share it with guests. Markets are buzz in preparation.
Read more: Senegal Families Splurge on Sacrificial Sheep to Boost Status
Senegal, which has reported about 50,000 coronavirus cases so far, has seen the number of infections rise 12% over the past two weeks. About a third of all tests received Saturday alone came back positive, adding 1,366 new cases to the tally, the health ministry said in a statement.
Only about 605,000 out of the country's 16 million people have received at least one shot of the vaccine against the virus.
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