Coronavirus: Niger announces first case

Niger has reported its first case of the coronavirus - in a man who returned from Togo via Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.

The government announced on Thursday that the patient is a 36-year-old Niger national who works for a transport company. He had travelled to Lome, Accra, Abidjan and Ouagadougou.

The government said the patient was stable and that there were efforts to contain the virus.

Niger becomes the latest country in sub-Saharan Africa to confirm coronavirus infection.

Religious leaders in the country have issued a joint statement suspending worship in churches and mosques to prevent the spread of the virus.

President Issoufou Mahamadou tweeted:

Nous venons d'enregistrer ce jeudi 19 Mars 2020, notre 1er cas clinique de #Coronavirus au #Niger. J'invite l'ensemble de mes concitoyens à garder leur calme. Je vous exhorte à respecter toutes les mesures de prévention. Incha Allah, ensemble nous surmonterons cette épreuve. -IM

— Issoufou Mahamadou (@IssoufouMhm) March 19, 2020