Ivory Coast president back to work after COVID-19 recovery

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) – The president of the Ivory Coast has fully recovered from a COVID-19 infection and resumed his duties on Thursday, the presidency announced in a statement.

President Alassane Ouattara was in isolation since Aug. 3 after coming into contact with an infected person.

Ouattara later tested positive for the virus and was under medical observation over the past two weeks.

He was tested again on Wednesday and the result was negative, clearing the way for him to return to the office, according to the statement.

The president has urged the public to get vaccinated and follow safety rules as the Ivory Coast battles the third wave of infections.

Vaccination coverage in the country of some 25 million remains alarmingly low at the moment, with just about 1.24 million doses administered as of Aug. 17.

The immunization campaign is set for a slight boost as some 1.2 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine are due to arrive soon from the US.

As of Wednesday, the overall caseload in the West African country stood at 52,836, including 369 fatalities, according to official data.