A total of 706 people have been tested since the virus emerged in April, with 24 people testing positive, of which 20 have recovered.

Some 212 people are in 14-day quarantine in sites across the country, 171 in Dili and 41 in the municipalities.

As the spread of the virus appears to slow, Dr Odete Viegas, a spokesperson for CIGC, used the organisation’s daily press conference to stress importance of the country’s borders remaining closed and continuation of restrictions on people’s movement to curtail risk of virus-spread.

As of Monday, the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide exceeds 3.5 million, according to World Health Organisation figures. More than 247,000 people have died while about 1.1 million have recovered.