SANTIAGO, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Chile will impose lockdowns on 24 more towns, including the Santiago Metropolitan Region on Saturday, due to surging COVID-19 cases, Chile's Health Minister Enrique Paris said Thursday.

　　Twenty eight towns have entered into lockdown, with nine of them in the Metropolitan region on Thursday, said Paris, adding that daily increase in COVID-19 cases in Chile remain high and are expected to result in higher intensive care unit occupancy.

　　"Therefore, we humbly but forcefully ask you to maintain isolation measures and physical distancing, use of a face mask and hand washing, and to respect capacity and curfews," Paris urged the public.

　　According to the Health Ministry, Chile recorded 6,249 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, raising the nationwide tally to 911,469.

　　Meanwhile, 172 more people died from the disease, bringing the death toll to 21,988.