Four Burkinabe ministers have tested positive for the deadly coronavirus, which last week snapped the life of the country’s Second Vice President of Parliament, Marie Rose Compaoré.
The country’s Mines, Education, Foreign Affairs and the Interior ministers have all tested for the disease.
“The rumour has become reality … I have just been notified that I have COVID-19,” Foreign Affairs Minister, Alpha Barry, said in a tweet late on Friday, referring to media reports that had speculated about his health, Reuters reported.
A government spokesperson, who announced the infections, on Saturday, also tallied the country’s positive cases to 40, up from 64 on Friday, the highest in West Africa.
The three ministers others followed the cue and announced their infections on Facebook—the Minister of Mines, Oumarou Idani; Minister of Education Stanislas Ouaro; and interior minister Simeon Sawadogo are receiving treatment under quarantine.
The Italian ambassador to Burkina Faso, Andrea Romussi, has also been infected.
The government’s website showed that there was a ministerial meeting on March 11m, but was silent on whether the four attended the meeting.
Health experts fear a spread of the disease in one of the world poorest countries could overpower its threadbare healthcare system.
Like most countries across Africa, Burkina Faso has rolled out measures to stop the spread of the virus. These include, closing land and air borders and banning gatherings of more than 50 people.
But ahead of a suspension of religious ceremonies on Friday, Ouagadougou’s central mosque was filled with hundreds of worshippers packed together for prayers.
The Imam, Sourwilla Mohamadi, delivered a sermon wearing a protective mask that was ripped open at the mouth, AFP reported.
The country reported its first case of Covid-19 on March 9, 10 days after Nigeria announced sub-Saharan Africa’s first case on February 28.
Burkina Faso, Ghana’s neigbour to the north has on its hand, an insurgency that has made parts of the country ungovernable, forcing millions to flee their homes.
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