MOGADISHU, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Somalia's Ministry of Health on Tuesday confirmed 49 new cases of novel coronavirus, raising the national tally to 286.

Fawziya Abikar, the health minister, said six people succumbed to the deadly virus, bringing the total number of fatalities to 14.

"Six people died of the virus. This is the highest number of deaths in one day," Abikar said in a statement issued on Tuesday evening.

She said two more people have recovered from COVID-19, raising the total number of recoveries to six.

The latest cases came after the government and the United Nations have expressed concerns about the sharp surge in the number of confirmed cases in Somalia due to limited capacity to contain the spread of the virus because of the fragile healthcare system.

The majority of the cases, including the first fatality, have no travel history, signifying local transmission of COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) said further transmission of the virus can be expected.

The Horn of African nation has instituted measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 including closing schools, banning large gatherings and suspending international and domestic passenger flights.

A curfew took effect on April 15 in Mogadishu to help enhance measures against COVID-19 amid fears that the disease could spread fast given the country's fragile health system. Enditem

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