Our Reporter
Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan and Guinea on Friday confirmed their first cases of the new coronavirus, bringing to 18 the number of African countries with confirmed cases of the deadly virus.
Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Senegal, Togo, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Gabon and Ghana complete the list.
Senegal confirmed 11 new cases on Friday, up from the initial 10.
The Health Ministry said 16 patients had been infected by the index case who flew in from Italy.
Kenyan Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe said the country’s first case, a 27-year-old Kenyan, was diagnosed on Thursday after traveling home via London on March 5.
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He said the government had traced most of the people she had been in contact with, including fellow passengers on her flight, and a government response team would monitor their temperatures for the next two weeks.
Ethiopia identified its index case as 48-year old Japanese national who arrived Addis Ababa on March 4 while Guinea’s first case was an employee of the European Union delegation who had self-isolated after she felt ill upon returning from Europe.
Sudan’s first confirmed coronavirus case was a man who died on Thursday in the Sudanese capital Khartoum.
He had visited the United Arab Emirates in the first week of March.
Kenya has subsequently suspended all public gatherings, sporting events, open-air religious meetings and events “of a huge public nature”. Schools will remain open but inter-school events were suspended.
Public transport operators must install hand sanitizers in their vehicles and clean them regularly, Kagwe said, while foreign travel would be restricted.
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