Ghana’s neighbour, Burkina Faso, on Monday reported its first two cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), becoming the sixth country in sub-Saharan Africa affected by the fast-spreading virus.

According to Reuters, Burkina Faso’s Health Minister, Claudine Lougue, told reporters that the two patients, a husband and wife, had recently returned to Burkina Faso from a trip to France and were now in isolation.

Togo, another country that shares borders with Ghana, also confirmed one case of coronavirus infection last week.

The patient, a 42-year-old woman, had visited three European countries – France, Germany and Turkey – where infection cases have become more rampant, according to a statement released by Togolese authorities.

The visits happened in late February and early March and also included Benin before the woman returned to the capital, Lome.

The statement said the woman was in a stable condition and had been quarantined in Lome while other people who had come into contact with her had also been quarantined.

Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia, South Africa and Cameroon have recorded the deadly infections, albeit single digit cases.

In Ghana, more than 40 suspected COVID-19 cases have been tested but the results have all been negative.

Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has said the country had strengthened its prevention measures in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations for member states to prepare and prevent the further international spread of the outbreak.

He added that Ghana was not relying on a common-sense approach, but on expert advice in all the efforts to prevent the disease from entering Ghana.

A recent test conducted on a suspected case of COVID 19 at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital turned negative.

The case involved a Ghanaian woman based abroad who returned to Ghana for a medical procedure at the hospital.

Although the lady checked a lot of the symptoms associated with the disease, tests by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research for COVID-19 came out negative.