Ethiopia confirms its first case of coronavirus

Ethiopia has confirmed its first case of the new coronavirus, the country’s public health institute told Reuters on Friday.

Takele Uma Banti, the mayor of the capital Addis Ababa, tweeted that a Japanese citizen was the person affected.

“We should avoid meetings and hand contacts,” the mayor wrote on Twitter.

Health Minister Lia Tadesse said there were no plans to cancel any flights.

Sub-Saharan Africa has so far been less badly hit by coronavirus than Europe, China or the United States, thanks in part to rapid screening.

Most of the reported cases have been in foreigners or people who had traveled abroad.

But concerns are growing about the continent’s ability to handle a potential rapid spread of a virus that has infected 127,000 and killed 4,700 worldwide.

Ethiopia is Africa’s second-most populous nation, with 109 million citizens. Addis Ababa, like Nairobi, is a regional transit hub.