Niger has reported its first case of the coronavirus – in a man who returned from Togo via Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.
The patient was a 36-year-old Niger national who worked for a transport company, the government said on Thursday.
He had travelled to Lome, Accra, Abidjan and Ouagadougou.
The patient was stable and efforts were ongoing to contain the virus, the government added.
Niger becomes the latest country in Africa to confirm it has coronavirus.
Religious leaders in the country have issued a joint statement suspending worship at mosques and churches to prevent the spread of the virus.
President Issoufou Mahamadou urged people to keep calm and to respect preventative measure.
“God willing, together we will overcome this ordeal,”he tweeted.
Nous venons d'enregistrer ce jeudi 19 Mars 2020, notre 1er cas clinique de #Coronavirus au #Niger. J'invite l'ensemble de mes concitoyens à garder leur calme. Je vous exhorte à respecter toutes les mesures de prévention. Incha Allah, ensemble nous surmonterons cette épreuve. -IM
— Issoufou Mahamadou (@IssoufouMhm) March 19, 2020
