TheCable

Libya has confirmed its first case of coronavirus.

According to the country’s National Centre for Disease Control, the patient is a 73-year-old man who crossed into Libya from neighbouring Tunisia on March 5.

The NCDC said the patient’s travel history also revealed that he had recently travelled to Saudi Arabia.

The man is reported to have shown symptoms of fever and cough and is currently receiving medical treatment in isolation at a hospital in Tripoli.

The confirmation of Libya’s first case is coming three weeks after the patient’s arrival in the country.

The UN-backed government has expressed fears that the outbreak could overwhelm the country’s already weakened health care system.

Libya is bordered by Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Niger, Sudan, and Tunisia.

All these countries already have confirmed cases of the COVID-19.

Libya is the 44th African countries have reported a case of the coronavirus. A total of 60 patients have died as a result of the virus.

The countries are Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe