African Cities on High Alert for Coronavirus

Four people with suspected coronavirus have been put into isolation in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. Three of them were students who had travelled back from various universities near Wuhan city, the epicentre of the outbreak. Health officials say blood samples are to being sent to South Africa for further investigation. Ivory Coast is investigating a suspected case of Wuhan coronavirus in a female student who arrived from China, officials have said. The student, whom authorities have not named, is the first person to be tested for the virus on the continent. The 34-year-old student traveled from Beijing to the Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan on Saturday and was coughing, sneezing and experienced difficulty breathing, Ivory Coast’s Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene said in statement. The student was moved to a safe location upon arrival at the airport and is currently under medical observation. South African officials say they’re ready for the possible spread of the deadly coronavirus to African shores. Some 21 million travelers came through Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport in 2018. It is the only airport in South Africa with direct flights to and from China. The airport has previously implemented temperature testing and health screening during outbreaks of Ebola, Zika and other viruses.  

SOURCE:  VOA | CNN