Millions in Senegal are preparing for Tabaski as the pandemic spreads

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 07:56 am

As millions of Senegalese prepare to celebrate Eid al-Adha, a Muslim festival, health officials have warned that coronavirus cases are on the rise in the West African country. After the country’s early surges were not as severe as those in other nations, many Senegalese have relaxed their usage of masks and other precautions.

According to the Ministry of Health, new confirmed virus cases have grown from dozens per day to a high of 738 on Friday, and more than 25% of 2,913 tests conducted in the last 24 hours came back positive.

People should also continue to wear masks and wash their hands frequently, according to the ministry. On July 21, Eid al-Adha, also known as Tabaski in Senegal, is observed by tens of thousands of people who congregate for massive family celebrations.

READMORE: Egypt’s Sisi extends Cairo’s full support to resolve Lebanese crisis: Report

Many health experts are concerned because people throng marketplaces and assemble to buy sheep in the run-up to the holiday. Only approximately 600,000 of Senegal’s more than 16 million people have been vaccinated.

The country is running low on vaccines and is waiting for Sinopharm and Johnson & Johnson to deliver more. According to Souleymane Mboup, Director of the Institute for Health Research, Epidemiological Surveillance and Training, one of Senegal’s testing facilities, the delta variation is responsible for about 30% of new infections in the country. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Senegal has documented 49,008 cases and 1,209 deaths from coronavirus.