Ivory Coast reports its first confirmed case of Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, the 12th African country to be affected by the pandemic.
The patient, a 45-year-old Ivorian man, developed a fever, cough and a cold after travelling to Italy, Health Minister Aka Aouele said in a statement.
Italy is battling the world’s worst outbreak outside China, where the coronavirus originated.
“The patient’s clinical condition is stable and reassuring,’’ the statement said.
“The people who have been in contact with the patient have been identified and are being monitored.’’
Aouele called on the Ivorian population to stay calm, saying that measures are in place for ‘’an optimal management of this case’’ and to control the spread of the illness.
More than 113,000 people have been infected across the world so far.
Experts consider Africa to be at high risk due to its close links with China and the weak health systems in many African countries.
But the continent’s outbreak has so far been limited compared with those in Asia or Europe.
By Tuesday, the World Health Organisation had recorded confirmed cases of the virus in Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Togo and Tunisia.
Authorities in Burkina Faso and Congo have also announced confirmed cases.
Egypt and Algeria have had the highest number of cases, with only one death reported so far, in Egypt.
South Africa on Wednesday reported six new confirmed cases of the virus, all involving people who had travelled to Europe, bringing the total number to 13.(dpa/NAN)
