BBC- THE first case of the coronavirus in sub-Saharan Africa has been confirmed in Nigeria. The patient is an Italian citizen who works in Nigeria and flew into the commercial city of Lagos from Milan on 25 February.
Authorities say he is stable with no serious symptoms and is being treated at a hospital in the city.
Elsewhere on the continent, Algeria and Egypt have also confirmed cases of the disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) had warned that Africa’s “fragile health systems” meant the threat posed by the virus was “considerable”.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s health ministry has announced that two nationals aboard a cruise ship docked in Japan have tested positive for the virus.
In Kenya, the High Court has ordered the temporary suspension of flights from China following a petition by the Law Society of Kenya.
It comes amidst public outrage after China’s Southern Airlines resumed flights to Nairobi amid concern about the spread of coronavirus.
Globally, more than 80,000 people in nearly 50 countries have been infected. Nearly 2,800 have died, the vast majority in China’s Hubei province.
The coronavirus outbreak has reached a “decisive point” and has “pandemic potential”, WHO head Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said on Thursday.
He urged governments to act swiftly and aggressively to contain the virus.
“We are actually in a very delicate situation in which the outbreak can go in any direction based on how we handle it,” he said.
“This is not a time for fear. This is a time for taking action to prevent infection and save lives now,” he added.
What’s behind the outrage in Kenya?
The arrival of a Southern Airlines flight from China’s Guangzhou city in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, on Wednesday sparked public anger.
Many criticised the government for allowing the 239 passengers into the country amid concern of the spread of the coronavirus.
The passengers were screened and cleared and also told to self-quarantine for 14 days, Kenyan authorities say. The Chinese embassy in Kenya also said it was working with Kenyan health officials to monitor all the passengers.
But the assurances have done little to assuage the anger and anxiety of many Kenyans worried about the spread of the virus and the country’s ability to contain it.
One of the local papers labelled some of the government ministers “enemies of the people”:
Some have started an online petition to appeal to the government to suspend flights from China.
The Chinese embassy in Kenya has, however, said the debate should be “rational and scientific”; it also warned against “irresponsible and even racist remarks” targeting its citizens, after a Kenyan MP suggested that locals should avoid Chinese people.
