Coronavirus: Cameroon records first death

Cameroon’s government on Tuesday announced the country’s first death due to coronavirus, saying the victim had returned from Italy and was already infected on his arrival.

“Unfortunately we have registered our first death due to COVID-19,” Health Minister Malachie Manaouda said on Twitter.

The official count of coronavirus cases in the Central African nation has risen to 66. But the figures are restricted by the limited laboratory capacity for testing.

Throughout Africa, more than 2,000 coronavirus cases had been declared at 1700 GMT Tuesday, according to an AFP toll.

The Cameroon government has already taken measures to stem the spread of the virus, closing schools, restaurants, and bars but has not so far sought to confine residents to their homes.

Italy is the worst-hit country with over 6,000 deaths attributed to coronavirus.