Somali state minister dies from coronavirus as South Africa cases rise to 2,173

In an African war ravaged country, the justice minister of Somalia's autonomous Hirshabelle state, Khalif Mumin Tohow, has died after contracting the novel coronavirus, the second recorded death in the country.

Tohow died on Sunday in Mogadishu's Martini hospital a day after he tested positive for COVID-19 in the town of Jowhar, the administrative capital of Hirshabelle.

According to local media, Tohow, who was Somali-British, travelled to the United Kingdom in February before he came back to the Horn of Africa nation.

Meanwhile, South Africa has announced 145 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of infections to 2,173, a health ministry statement said.

The statement stopped short of specifying whether any new fatalities had been recorded, which stood at 25 as of Saturday.

Currently, Africa states are less hit by the pandemic but are likely to face dare economic breakdown most especially export dependent economies in the continent. 

Globally the death toll from the Coronavirus has exceeded 109,000 while the infection confirmed cases worldwide have also exceeded 1.7mln people.