The previous taskforce was headed by President Kiir and deputized by Dr. Riek Machar. Photo| Lin Nelson | Eye Radio.

South Sudan has confirmed one case of the coronavirus disease.

The deputy chairperson of the COVID-19 Task Force, Dr. Riek Machar announced this at a press conference in Juba this morning.

The patient is said to be a 29-year-old female UN staff who arrived from the Netherlands via Addis Ababa on February 28.

“On Saturday, 4^th April 2020, the Public Health Laboratory tested and confirmed a case of COVID-19 in an individual,” Machar disclosed to the press.

“The suspect presented to the UN clinic on 2^nd April 2020 with fever, cough, headache, and shortness of breath. The Ministry of Health’s Rapid Response Team went to the clinic and collected samples the same day. The initial test came positive. A second run of the confirmatory test also returned positive.”

He says the patient is currently in isolation and “in good health.”

The Task Force further said the  Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating the outbreak including identifying and following up all the possible contacts.

It urged the public to remain calm and observe the public health measures such as social distancing and washing hands with soap.