Senegal eases coronavirus restrictions as cases rise

Senegal is easing coronavirus restrictions starting Tuesday, including reopening of mosques and churches.

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

The nighttime curfew has also been reduced by two hours and will now run from 21:00 to 05:00 local time.

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.

In a televised address late on Monday, President Macky Sall said that Senegalese would need to "adapt individual and collective behaviour" and "learn to live with the virus".

The announcement came as the country recorded 177 new cases on Monday, the highest jump in a single day since the first case was recorded on 2 March.

Senegal has so far recorded 1,886 coronavirus cases in total, including 19 deaths.

The new measures come amid a push to find a way to balance public health with economic realities, with the virus causing loss of jobs and a slowdown in activity in the continent.