Yemen’s Houthis announce first coronavirus case
While 21 previous cases had been reported in areas controlled by the internationally recognized government, the real figure in the war-wracked country is likely far higher.
Houthi authorities yesterday announced the first confirmed coronavirus case in areas under its control, some two weeks after reports of suspected cases in the country’s north.
A Somali immigrant was found dead in a hotel in Sanaa, Health Minister Taha al-Mutawakel told the Houthis' Al-Masira TV on Tuesday. The deceased man later tested positive for coronavirus and was suffering from kidney failure and underlying liver disease, Mutawakel said.
For Yemen as a whole, 21 coronavirus cases and three deaths have been reported. All declared cases until Tuesday had been in the country’s south, which is controlled by forces affiliated with the internationally recognized government-in-exile of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. The Hadi government declared the first case of the virus in its territory April 10.
The real number of cases in the war-wracked country is likely far higher, and there are reports the Houthi government has been keeping suspected cases in Sanaa quiet.
