One week after Africa got a clean bill of health on coronavirus disease, a fresh case has been recorded in Algeria.
A man who was placed in isolation at an Egyptian hospital had tested negative to the disease but six days after what was described as good news for the continent, Algerian authorities announced that an Italian citizen who arrived in the country on February 17 tested positive to the disease.
“One case was confirmed positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), out of two suspected cases (both) of Italian nationality,” the North African country’s health ministry said in a broadcast.
The victim’s identity was not stated and the hospital where he is currently being treated was not made public.
The virus, which broke out in Wuhan, China, has now infected more than 80,000 globally, killing at least 2,700.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iraj Harirchi, Iran’s deputy health minister, announced that he had contracted the disease.
Harirchi, who has spearheaded Iran’s efforts to contain the virus, said he would begin treatment immediately.
“I wanted to tell you that I got corona. I had a fever yesterday. The tests came back positive last night. I isolated myself. Just a few moments ago, I was told that the final test came,” Harirchi had said in a video which aired from his house.
“I’ll start taking medicine. Generally, I feel fine. I just felt a bit tired, I had a fever, and it will drop.”
