A health official checks a passenger's body temperature at a traveler screening point in Shiberghan city, capital of Jawzjan province, Afghanistan, March 15, 2020. The number of novel coronavirus cases has risen to 21 in Afghanistan after five new cases were recorded, a spokesman of Ministry of Public Health said Monday. (Photo by Mohammad Jan Aria/Xinhua)
KABUL, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The number of novel coronavirus cases has risen to 21 in Afghanistan after five new cases were recorded, a spokesman of Ministry of Public Health said Monday.
"Five more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in eastern Logar, western Herat and Badghis provinces," spokesman Wahid Mayar tweeted.
Most of the previously confirmed cases were imported as the patients had returned from Iran. It was not immediately known whether the five new cases were imported or locally infected.
A total of 263 COVID-19 suspected cases have been tested in the country's national laboratories since mid February and one suspected case is still under investigation, according to Mayar.
