COVID-19 claims 1st Tanzanian, appears in Botswana

ANKARA

Tanzania, East African, on Tuesday confirmed its first death from coronavirus, according to local media reports.

“I regret to announce that we have registered the first COVID-19 death in the country,” The Citizen website quoted Tanzania’s Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu as announcing Tuesday.

The victim was a 49-year-old man who died of the disease in Mloganzila, Dar es Salam, the daily reported.

Tanzania has so far confirmed 19 cases of the virus, Mwalimu added.

Separately, in Southern Africa, the landlocked country of Botswana announced its first three confirmed cases of the deadly virus.

The announcement came late Monday on Twitter, as confirmed by Health and Wellness Minister Lemogang Kwape.

After first appearing in Wuhan, China last December, the novel coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, has spread to at least 178 countries and territories, according to data compiled by U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.

More than 787,600 cases have been reported worldwide, with a death toll of nearly 38,000 and over 166,000 recoveries.