Malawi has declared its first three confirmed cases of the deadly Coronavirus (Covid-19) following a statement from President Peter Mutharika on Thursday evening.

Mutharika in a television broadcast said the three are a Malawian of Asian origin who travelled to India, her relative and their house maid marking the first confirmed cases of the novel virus in country.

In a Special Address to the Nation that lasted one minute and 23 seconds monitored on Times TV, Mutharika said one of the patients is a 63-year-old woman.

The other two are her relation and her domestic worker.

Nyasa Times reporter earlier that Ministry of Health officials and medical staff wearing protective suits and face masks stormed the Area 9 residence of the family to carry the tests including those of their workers at the servant quarters.

Mutharika said the family has been quarantined to be treated and that medical officials will trace people who they have been in contact with to test them.

The President urgent the nation to “remain calm.”

Mutharika said he will announce new strict measures to prevent Covid-19 spreading.

Ministry of Health spokesperson Joshua Malango said the country has adequate facilities, equipment and medication to handle the crisis.

“We now have started testing. We have also upgraded our laboratory. We are working with the College of Medicine. We have centres for Ebola cases which are fully equipped across the country, these are what we will use,” said Malango.

Covid-19 threat t has so far killed over 36 000 people and infected over 750 000 others worldwide.

On the other hand, Africa has since confirmed over 4 600 cases and over 140 deaths in 46 of the continent’s 54 countries.

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