eSwatini has recorded the first death from COVID-19 identified as a 59-year-old man diagnosed with the disease three days ago.
The man, according to Health Minister Lizzie Nkosi, had been unwell due to diabetes and pneumonia before contracting the virus, a pandemic that has claimed over 150, 000 lives globally.
“The man was already admitted to another health facility at the time of diagnosis and transfer to the COVID-19 facility in the Lubombo region,” the minister said.
She announced that the family of the deceased would be taken through a process on how they were expected to conduct burial of the corpse because some of the World Health Organisation guidelines that need to be followed were not in line with the eSwatini culture of conducting funerals.
“The family will not be allowed to wash the body and a postmortem will not be conducted. Those interested in viewing the body will have to wear protective gear before doing so,” the official added.
The cases of COVID-19 in the kingdom rose to 17 on Thursday, the latest being of a 36-year-old man.
NSM/as/APA