Madagascar records its first coronavirus death

By Felix Tih

ANKARA (AA) - Madagascar has recorded its first coronavirus death, local media reported on Sunday.

The case is a 57-year-old man, a parking lot security officer at a hospital in the city of Toamasina, according to local daily L'Express de Madagascar.

The Indian Ocean island also reported 21 new cases, bringing the total number of cases to 304, according to Express.

The first death comes weeks after the country's President Andry Rajoelina launched Covid Organics (CVO), an organic herbal drink he claims can prevent or cure coronavirus patients.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had warned against the use of CVO without any medical supervision and cautioned against self-medication.

The WHO on Thursday said it is in touch with Madagascar over its herbal drink.

''We have offered to support the design of a study to look into this product [Covid Organics],'' Matshidiso Moeti, the regional director of WHO office in Africa, told a media briefing.

Since the virus emerged in Wuhan, China last December, it has spread to 188 countries and regions.

The global death toll from the novel coronavirus has exceeded 312,200, with more than 4.65 million confirmed cases and recoveries have surpassed 1.7 million, according to a running tally by US-based Johns Hopkins University.