BELGRADE (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th February, 2020) The first case of the new coronavirus has been confirmed in North Macedonia after three citizens came to the clinic with flu-like symptoms, Health Minister Venko Filipche said on Wednesday.

"Three people reported to the Clinic for Infectious Diseases with flu-like symptoms and were tested for coronavirus. Two tested negative [while one tested positive]," Filipche told a press conference, as quoted by the national MIA news agency.

According to the news agency, the infected person is a 50-year-old woman, who has recently returned from Italy, which has registered more than 300 cases of the illness � the highest number of those infected in Europe � and 12 deaths due to the disease.

Filipche also said that later on Wednesday, a plane with North Macedonian citizens evacuated from Italy was set to arrive in Skopje, adding that his country had introduced a ban on organizing excursions to the virus-hit EU member state.

The coronavirus disease, officially called COVID-19 by the World Health Organization, has infected over 81,000 people worldwide with the death toll of over 2,700 people.