The first patient to contract Covid-19 in Togo has tested negative but is still under medical observation, state TV quotes the health minister as saying.

The West African nation is now dealing with eight confirmed cases.

The government had asked people arriving in Togo from high-risk countries "to exhibit the highest sense of responsibility and patriotism" and work with the authorities to curb the spread of the virus, Health Minister Moustafa Mijiyawa said.

He urged the Togolese to "stay calm and not panic" but to follow strict crowd control measures put out by the government.