Rwanda announces first case of coronavirus

Central Africa and one of the smallest countries on the African mainland, Rwanda has confirmed its first case of coronavirus, becoming the19th African nation to register a positive case of the COVID-19 virus, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.

The ministry said an Indian citizen who arrived in the East African nation from Mumbai on March 8 tested positive for the virus after he presented himself to a health facility on March 13.

He is currently under treatment in stable condition, isolated from other patients,” the ministry said. “The tracing of all contacts has been conducted for further management.”

Rwanda’s national airline, RwandAir, has been forced to suspend all flights to India until April 30 and would refund customers.

With 127,000 people already infected and 4,700 deaths from coronavirus worldwide, African nations still have the least cases.

African nations to have reported cases of the virus include Rwanda, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Senegal, Togo, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Sudan, Kenya, and Ethiopia.