Somalia, Tanzania confirm first coronavirus cases

ANKARA (AA) - Tanzania and Somalia on Monday confirmed their first cases of the coronavirus.

Tanzania’s Health Minister called on citizen to remain calm, as a 46-year-old woman in the country tested positive for the virus, according to the Citizen, a local news website.

Quoting Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu, the website said the woman had left Tanzania for Belgium on March 3 and she also visited Sweden and Denmark between March 3-13 before returning to Belgium and then to Tanzania.

Meanwhile, Somalia’s Health Ministry also announced the country’s first case of the coronavirus.

“The #Government confirms a #Coronavirus disease case in the country. The case, which is confirmed today is the first one […] The patient is Somali citizen who travelled back to the country returning from #China,” the ministry said on Twitter Monday.

Also, Somalia has suspended all international flights for 15 days starting from Wednesday, Aviation Minister Abdullahi Salad Omaar announced on Monday.

* Mohammed Dhaysane contributed to this story from Mogadishu, Somalia