Uganda confirms first case of coronavirus

KAMPALA - Uganda has confirmed the first case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Ministry of Health, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, told a press conference shortly after midnight that a 36-year-old man who travelled into the country on Saturday had tested positive.

The minister said the male Ugandan had arrived aboard an Ethiopian Airlines from Dubai and presented with signs of high fever and low appetite. 

Aceng added that the plane had few people on board who had since been quarantined.

She encouraged Ugandans to stay calm as the ministry would double efforts to ensure that the situation is put under control.