A police officer takes body temperature of a visitor at the entrance of a building in Santiago, Chile, March 20, 2020. (Photo by Jorge Villegas/Xinhua)

The Chilean Ministry of Health reported on Friday that the number of cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country had risen to 368,825, with 9,958 deaths.

The ministry also reported that 2,149 new cases and 69 deaths were registered in the last 24 hours.

Additionally, 25,243 tests for COVID-19 were administered in the last 24-hour period, bringing the total to 1,785,858 tests administered since the disease was first detected in the country in March.

According to authorities, 1,348 people are currently hospitalized in intensive care units, with 233 of them in critical condition.

Given a drop in new cases, the Chilean government has begun to gradually lift restrictions in the country in an attempt to reactivate the economy, though areas with a high level of new cases remain under quarantine.