Panic as Kenya confirms first coronavirus case

Kenya has confirmed its first Coronavirus case.

The development has been confirmed by the country’s Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Friday. He said  the patient is a Kenyan who travelled from US via London.

Kagwe noted that although patient, a Kenyan, is stable and eating, she will not be released from hospital until she is confirmed negative.

According to Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper, the patient is at Kenyatta National Hospital’s Infectious Disease Unit.

The government says it has traced all contacts the patient made since her arrival.

Meanwhile, Kenya has suspended all travel outside the country unless necessary.

There are now more than 100 cases recorded in 12 countries in Africa, according to the latest figures from the World Health Organization.

Egypt remains the nation with the most reported cases with 59, more than half of all confirmed cases on the continent.

Most of the cases in Egypt are among passengers and crew members aboard a Nile cruise ship coming from southern city of Aswan to Luxor, Egypt state-run Ahram Online reported.

Egypt’s health ministry announced Sunday that a German citizen was the first death from the virus in the country, according to Ahram Online.

Reported cases

The countries with reported cases as of Wednesday, according to the World Health Organization, include the following:

Algeria — 20

Burkina Faso — 2

Cameroon — 2

Democratic Republic of Congo –1

Egypt — 59 (includes 1 death)

Morocco — 3 (includes 1 death)

Nigeria — 2

Senegal — 4

South Africa — 13

Tunisia — 5

Togo – 1

Kenya–1