Liberia announced its first case of the novel coronavirus on Monday, becoming the 27th African country to confirm the illness.
The patient is the head of Liberia’s environmental agency and had recently returned from Switzerland, the information ministry said in a statement.
“The country has registered its first case of coronavirus, otherwise known as Covid-19,” it said.
“The government urges everyone to remain calm. Health officials continue to search for all those who came in contact with the infected person in order to place them in quarantine,” it added.
Liberian President George Weah will address the country on Monday “to announce important new measures that the government will put in place to prevent transmission” of coronavirus, the statement added.