Tunisia has confirmed its first case of the new coronavirus, the health ministry said on Monday.
The Health Minister, Abdelatif el-Maki, disclosed this at a news conference in Tunis.
The health ministry said that the patient is a 40-year-old Tunisian man who had returned from Italy, according to the official TAP news agency.
Similarly, two new cases of novel coronavirus infection were confirmed in Algeria, the Algerian Health Ministry said on Monday.
The two include a 54-year-old woman and her 24-year-old daughter, who live in the northern province of Blida, some 50 km to the southwest of the capital city Algiers, the ministry said.
The two patients have been placed under quarantine and are currently undergoing medical treatment, it added.
The two received at their home some relatives from Feb. 14 to 21, including an 83-year-old Algerian man and his daughter who live in France.
They were both tested positive for the new coronavirus after return to France on Feb. 21.
The Algerian health authorities immediately conducted an epidemiological investigation on the mother and daughter, who were diagnosed with the new coronavirus infection.
In late February, Algerian health authorities announced the first confirmed coronavirus case in the country, involving an Italian national who had been deported back to Italy after receiving medical care.
Algeria has taken precautionary measures at its airports, ports, and land border crossings, including the installation of temperature cameras, to prevent the spread of the virus. (dpa/NAN)
