Coronavirus outbreak

The individual, a 40-year-old man, had recently travelled to Milan but was asymptomatic upon arrival in Buenos Aires. He is under quarantine at a hospital in the City.

A first case of the Covid-19 coronavirus has been confirmed in Argentina, Health Minister Ginés González García has announced at a press conference.

The patient is a 40-year-old man who arrived on Sunday from Milan, who flew direct via Alitalia airlines. The individual had also been to Spain and Hungary, and he was asymptomatic at the time of arrival, the TN news channel reported.

On Sunday evening, the man became ill with a fever and respiratory symptoms. He present to the private Swiss Clinic and Maternity Hospital on Avenue Pueyrredon, where he was quarantined.

An analysis was sent to a branch of the Malbran medical testing laboratory network, which confirmed a positive result earlier today.

Since Sunday, the City and National governments have instituted a proper protocol put in place by their respective health ministries. The government was made aware of the passengers who sat near him on the plane and health officials are said to be monitoring them, according to local agencies.

Carla Vizzoti, an official with the Health Ministry, warned on Monday that early detection of COVID-19 is very important. There have been 89,000 cases recorded worldwide and more than 3,000 deaths.

Meanwhile, in the wider Americas, the countries that have confirmed cases are: US (89 cases), Canada (24), Ecuador (6), México (5), Brazil (2), and Dominican Republic (1).

—TIMES/NA