World - Africa
Updated: March 13, 2020

Coronavirus: Ethiopia Confirms First Case

By Kindness Udoh
March 13, 2020
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Ethiopia on Friday announced its first case of the new coronavirus, the second to hit East Africa which had so far been spared from the rapidly spreading illness.

A 48-year-old Japanese man who had arrived in the country on March 4 from Burkina Faso was confirmed to have contracted the virus, the health ministry said.

“He is undergoing medical follow-up and is in a stable condition. Those who have been in contact with this person are being traced and quarantined,” the ministry said in a statement.

Ethiopia becomes the 15 country in Africa with a confirmed case of the virus that has swept the globe, infecting more than 130,000 people and killing nearly 5,000 since it emerged in China in December.

AFP