The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has killed an Afghan doctor in one of the private hospitals in Kabul city, the public health ministry confirmed.

Waheedullah Mayar, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health, confirmed that the disease has killed a doctor in one of the private hospitals in the capital.

Without disclosing further information, Mayar said the authorities have collected samples from the remaining 20 doctors and healthcare providers in the hospital to make sure they are not infected.

This comes as the authorities earlier reported that they have recorded 30 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Afghanistan in the past 24 hours.

The Ministry of Public Health announced that the public health officials have recorded 16 new cases in Herat, 6 in Kabul, 3 in Nimroz, 2 in Kunduz, 2 in Faryab and 1 in Daikundi.

The new cases increase the number of COVID-19 positive cases to 367 in Afghanistan with the majority of the cases recorded in Herat and Kabul provinces.

The disease has so far killed 9 people across Afghanistan with the last victim being a 80-year-old man who died in North-eastern Takhar province.