Ethiopia has suffered its first fatality due to coronavirus (COVID-19), the country’s Health ministry has said.
The Minister of Health Lia Tadesse in a statement on Sunday said that the 60-year-old Ethiopian woman was confirmed positive for COVID-19 on March 31, 2020.
The horn of Africa nation has so far confirmed 43 cases of the deadly COVID-19.
11 new cases were confirmed over the weekend.
The deceased had a travel history from France and died at the Yeka Kotebe Hospital intensive care unit in the capital Addis Ababa on Sunday.
“We have received the sad news of the death of the first patient who had tested positive for coronavirus,” Dr. Lia said.
Of the 59 samples tested in the last 24 hours, five turned out positive for COVID-19, the Ethiopian Public Health Institute said.
Three of the confirmed cases are Ethiopian nationals, while the two are Eritrean and Libyan nationals.
MG/as/APA