Ethiopia confirms first case of coronavirus

Addis Ababa. Ethiopia on Friday March 13, announced its first case of the new coronavirus, the second to hit East Africa which had so far been spared from the rapidly spreading illness.

A 48-year-old Japanese man who had arrived in the country on March 4 from Burkina Faso was confirmed to have contracted the virus, the health ministry said.

"He is undergoing medical follow-up and is in a stable condition. Those who have been in contact with this person are being traced and quarantined," the ministry said in a statement.

Ethiopia becomes the 15 country in Africa with a confirmed case of the virus that has swept the globe, infecting more than 130,000 people and killing nearly 5,000 since it emerged in China in December.

Earlier in the day, Kenya confirmed having the first coronavirus case of a woman who had travelled from the USA.