Eswatini PM moved to S.Africa for COVID-19 treatment

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) - The prime minister of Eswatini, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, has been shifted to neighboring South Africa for COVID-19 treatment, an official said in a statement late Tuesday.

Ambrose Dlamini, 52, contracted the novel virus on Nov. 16.

"Prime Minister Ambrose Dlamini is responding well to the treatment," Deputy Prime Minister Themba Masuku said, adding that his health condition remains stable. “To guide and fast track the recovery, a decision has been taken that he be transferred to a South African hospital this afternoon."

Formerly known as Swaziland, Eswatini is a small nation ruled by King Mswati III. It is one of the few remaining monarchies in the continent, known for preserving its culture.

The country, which has just over 1.1 million people, has so far registered 6,442 coronavirus cases, including 122 deaths and 6,017 recoveries, according to the US' Johns Hopkins University.