Dominica has recorded its first case of the coronavirus.

This was confirmed by Minister of Health Dr Irving McIntyre at a press conference on Sunday.

Minister McIntyre said the patient, a 54 year old male who travelled to Dominica from the United Kingdom, was placed on home quarantine, and has been monitored by a medical team since his arrival on island.

He said “This individual is being treated in a special isolation unit and will remain there until recovery. In accordance with established public health practices, the Ministry of Health has initiated aggressive contact tracing to identify every individual who may have come into close contact with this patient. All individuals identified during contact tracing will be tested and placed under quarantine.”

The Health Minister said his ministry’s primary focus is to ensure containment of the virus and prevent in-country transmission.