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Sierra Leone asks Russia for coronavirus aid

By this point, 10 coronavirus cases are registered in Sierra Leone, nine of them imported, while in one case, a medic contracted the disease from a patient

MOSCOW, April 13. /TASS/. The authorities of Sierra Leone have contacted Russia, asking for assistance in fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the Ambassador of Sierra Leone to Russia Mohamed Yongawo told TASS Monday.

"Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Nabeela Tunis (Nee Koromah) sent a letter to the Russian side, asking for assistance in fighting the coronavirus," the ambassador said.

By this point, 10 coronavirus cases are registered in Sierra Leone, nine of them imported, while in one case, a medic contracted the disease from a patient. No fatalities have been registered in the country, Yongawo said, adding that 450 people have been quarantined.

The republic has introduced quarantine measures, allowing movement between cities only via a special pass.

No nationals of Sierra Leone staying in Russia have contracted the disease, the envoy said. "We have no infected citizens in Russia," he noted.

In late December 2019, Chinese officials notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus — named COVID-19 by the WHO — have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia.

On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. According to the latest statistics, over 1,800,000 people have been infected worldwide and more than 114,000 deaths have been reported. In addition, so far, over 428,000 individuals have recovered from the illness across the globe.