By James Tasamba
KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - Guinea's health ministry on Friday announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19.
The female patient is a Belgian citizen who has lived in Guinea since October 2018 working for the European Union delegation in the country, according to a statement by the Health Minister Dr. Remy Lama.
The 49-year-old went to Brussels in Belgium on Feb.15 for holidays, then visited Nice in France for the period from Feb.17 to 21, 2020 before returning to Brussels, according to the statement.
She then arrived in Guinea’s city Conakry on March 3.
According to the statement, the patient was placed in solitary confinement at the Epidemic Treatment Center in Nongo, Conakry on Thursday.
“In application of the International Health Regulations, Guinea declares the 2019 Coronavirus epidemic (COVDI-19). The Guinean health authorities in collaboration with partners are urged to take all appropriate measures to stem this emerging epidemic,” it said.
The statement affirmed Guinean government’s commitment to prevent the spread of the epidemic in the country and neighboring countries, adding that a case confirmation notification had been sent to the World Health Organization country office.
More than 132,500 coronavirus cases have been reported in 132 countries and territories, with over 5,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Other African countries with confirmed COVID-19 cases include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon, Tunisia, South Africa, Morocco, and Kenya which also reported its first confirmed case on Friday.