COLOMBO – Sri Lanka has confirmed the first case of coronavirus in the country, a senior Sri Lankan health official said on Monday.
“A Chinese lady, who is in her 40s, arrived on the 19th as a tourist and fell ill on the 25th and was confirmed as having the coronavirus following a test on Monday,” Sudath Samaraweera, the chief epidemiologist with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Health, told Reuters, adding that this marks the first confirmed case in the island nation.
The new flu-like virus, first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has killed more than 80 people and infected more than 2,700 others. Although most cases identified remain in China, more than a dozen other countries have so far reported cases.
RELATED PHOTOS
-
Chinese passengers wearing face masks walk past a thermal scanner set up to check the temperature of passengers at Colombo International airport in Colombo Saturday. | AP
Your news needs your support
Since the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis, The Japan Times has been providing free access to crucial news on the impact of the novel coronavirus as well as practical information about how to cope with the pandemic. Please consider subscribing today so we can continue offering you up-to-date, in-depth news about Japan.
