Houthis confirm first Coronavirus case after Somali national dies in Sanaa

Houthi authorities in northern Yemen have confirmed the first Covid-19 case in territory held by the Iran-aligned group.

MENA

1 min read

The New Arab & agencies

05 May, 2020

Yemen now has a total of 21 confirmed Covid-19 cases [Getty]

Authorities in Houthi-held northern Yemen have reported their first case of the novel coronavirus, a Somali national who was found dead in a Sanaa hotel.

Yemen's UN-recognised government to the south, meanwhile, reported nine new cases on Tuesday.

“We received a report about a situation in a hotel (in the capital Sanaa) on Sunday and epidemiological investigation teams went there immediately, where the affected person had died,” Houthi health minister Taha al-Mutawakkil told Al Masirah TV.

The deceased victim had underlying liver and kidney problems, the minister added.

Yemen now has a total of 21 confirmed Covid-19 cases, including three deaths in territory held by the internationally recognised government.

The UN warned on Monday that a shocking 16 million people are at risk of contracting the deadly virus, dealing a whopping blow to what it has already described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The "most likely scenario" would see Covid-19 strike 55 percent of Yemen's entire population, the global body’s aid chief, Lise Grande said.

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