The
first COVID-19 coronavirus has Monday 2 March 2020 been reported in Senegal,
being the second country in Sub-Shaharan Africa to confirm the contagious
disease.
The
local media in Senegal reported that a French national who tested positive is
being treated at Dakar’s Fann Hospital.
President
Macky Sall has called for vigilance and urged for respect of instructions.
According
to Reuters, Africa’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says it has
activated its emergency operation centre for a continent where healthcare
capacity is limited and early detection is vital.
The
WHO has identified 13 top-priority countries which either have direct links or
a high volume of travel to China, but Senegal was not on that list.
Still,
Senegal is home to one of the 26 labs in Africa that can test for the virus. Public
announcements on state television advise people to wash their hands and masked
health officials conduct temperature checks at the airport while others film
arriving passengers.
Before
the confirmation of the first case, President Macky Sall on Monday urged calm.
“The health services are taking care of the patient according to the procedure recommended by the World Health Organisation,” he told reporters.
