[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Major foreign media reported on the 24th that the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has occurred in Afghanistan.
According to the reports, Ferozuddin Feroz, Afghanistan's Minister of Health, stated at a press conference held in Kabul that "one of three suspected patients in the western Herat province has been confirmed to be infected with COVID-19." Minister Feroz declared a state of emergency in Herat province and requested local residents to stay at home as much as possible and refrain from traveling.
Dr. Sayed Ataullah Sayedzai, head of the Disease Surveillance Department of the Afghan Ministry of Health, revealed that the three suspected patients in Herat province had traveled to Iran. The Afghan government, concerned about the rapid spread of COVID-19 in Iran and the possibility of it entering their country, has taken measures to prevent the spread of infection by closing border checkpoints with Iran and blocking all land and sea travel.
In fact, in Iran, 12 people have died from COVID-19 so far, and 61 have been confirmed infected. More than 900 people are currently being tested, so the number of confirmed cases is expected to increase further.
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