CORONAVIRUS: Algeria confirms first case as Italy battles to contain outbreak

Health authorities in Algeria have confirmed its first case of the deadly coronavirus which has quickly spread across the world in an announcement on state-owned ENTV on Tuesday evening.

The first case was confirmed by Algerian health minister, Abdel Rahman Ben Bouzid who said that the patient is an Italian man who arrived in the country on 17 February, Reuters news agency reports.

Bouzid said that the patient has been placed in isolation making Algeria the second African country with a confirmed case of coronavirus.

Egypt was the first to report a confirmed case of the disease but later announced that the patient had been declared clear of the infection and was on the way to recovery.

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Meanwhile, health officials in Italy are battling to contain the outbreak of the virus as fears mount after the confirmation of 11 coronavirus deaths, with parts of country’s north under Wuhan-style lockdown.

In a related development, the European Union announced the allocation of 232 million euros ($252m) for the coronavirus emergency.

Italy’s government said it is also considering tax and bills exemptions for people in the towns on lockdown, including Casalpusterlengo.

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