Lesotho, the only coronavirus free African country has on Wednesday announced that it has detected its first case.
The country’s health ministry in a statement said the virus was detected on an individual among 81 people who were tested after arriving last week from Saudi Arabia and neighboring South Africa.
Director-General Dr. Nyane Letsie said;
The Ministry of Health informs the Basotho nation and the entire community living in Lesotho, that the country now has the first confirmed case of COVID-19. The patient is a Lesotho national studying in Saudi Arabia.
Lesotho went into lockdown on March 29 to protect itself from a potential spread of the virus from South Africa, which entirely surrounds the kingdom and has the highest number of confirmed cases on the continent.
Lesotho’s Prime Minister Thomas Thabane loosened the restrictions on May 6 allowing “all non-essential services and enterprises” to “temporarily open shop”.
As at press time, Lesotho has one coronavirus case while its neighboring country, South Africa has 12,074 confirmed cases and 219 deaths.
On the other hand, Mauritius has officially become coronavirus-free with no active case for the past 17 days, the country’s ministry of health has said.
The Indian Ocean island nation said 322 people had recovered out of the 332 confirmed cases, while 10 people have died, meaning there are currently no active cases.
May 13 2020, marked the seventh consecutive day that no new case was recorded in the country.
Despite this milestone, a lockdown remains in place to contain any possible spread of the virus.
The country achieved this feat by imposing one of the first and strictest lockdowns in Africa, a measure that has now been extended until June 1.
From May 15, a limited selection of essential stores such as bakeries, butcheries and fishmongers will be allowed to re-open, but most businesses, bars, shopping centres and markets will stay shut.
Schools will remain closed until August 1, the island’s famed beaches will remain off limits and no more than 10 people will be allowed to attend weddings and funerals.
Mauritius is now the only Africa country to be coronavirus virus. Lesotho was the sole African country once without any case, however a new case was detected on Wednesday, May 13.
