South Africa has announced its first confirmed case of the coronavirus.
Health Minister Zwele Mkhize identified the patient as a 38-year-old man who had returned this week from Italy with his wife and other travelers. He became ill at his home in the KwaZulu-Natal province Tuesday and was tested. Health officials are now contacting anyone who came across the man since the trip.
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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will speak to the nation later Thursday about the health challenge posed by the virus.
South Africa is the first country in southern Africa and the third in sub-Saharan Africa to register a case of the new coronavirus. To date, seven countries in Africa have recorded cases: Algeria, Senegal, Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, Tunisia and South Africa.
Bosnia, Herzegovina and Slovenia have also announced its first cases of the virus, which has climbed to more than 96,000 cases worldwide, according to Al Jazeera. In the United States, there have been a total of 11 deaths, including one in California, the first outside Washington state. More cases have also emerged in New York and Los Angeles with California declaring a state of emergency.
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