Authorities in Somaliland announced the country’s first two confirmed cases of COVID-19.
The announcement came at a time when the world has gone into a lockdown with the growing number of patients diagnosed with the pandemic.
Global infections have escalated exponentially. The global economy has slowed down amid fears of an impending recession.
Health officials in the Horn of Africa secessionist nation confirmed that two individuals tested positive for the potent virus.
The first patient is a Chinese national who has been placed in quarantine in Berbera. Authorities say the second patient is a local resident who recently returned to the country from Britain.
Somaliland’s Minister of Health, Omar Ali Abdullahi, clarified that the two individuals are in a “stable condition” and that efforts to trace their contacts are currently underway.
As it is the case with Somalia, Somaliland has an almost dysfunctional health system after decades of infighting and no government.
Officials have launched several public awareness campaigns designed to confront the virulent disease in the nation. These include social distancing and regularly washing hands.