BANJUL, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The Gambian Health Minister Amadou Samateh on Tuesday evening confirmed on state broadcaster the first case of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.
He said the patient is a woman in her 20s who returned from Britain on Sunday.
"It's the first case of COVID-19 in the country and the patient is currently in isolation, and she is receiving excellent care at the Medical Research Council clinic in Fajara," he said.
"A day after arrival, she started to have a fever and decided to self isolate at home. She was tested and confirmed to be positive," he added.
The minister said that they began the process of tracing and isolating all the people who boarded the same flight to control the spread.
Shortly before the announcement, Gambian President Adama Barrow ordered the closure of all schools, including universities, open markets and public gatherings in the country.
