South Africa reports first case of coronavirus

South African Health Ministry on Thursday reported the first case of coronavirus in the country, involving a 38-year old man with travel history to Italy -- the European nation which has reported the most coronavirus cases outside of Asia.

Cape Town [South Africa], Mar 5 : South African Health Ministry on Thursday reported the first case of coronavirus in the country, involving a 38-year old man with travel history to Italy -- the European nation which has reported the most coronavirus cases outside of Asia.

"This morning, Thursday, March 5, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases confirmed that a suspected case of COVID-19 has tested positive," Health Minister Zweli Mkhize tweeted.

"The patient is a 38-year-old male who travelled to Italy with his wife. They were part of a group of 10 people and they arrived back in South Africa on March 1, 2020," the following tweet read.

First originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, coronavirus has spread to more than 80 countries across the world, including India.

( With inputs from ANI )