ANKARA /HARARE

African nations Nigeria and Zimbabwe reported first COVID-19 or novel coronavirus deaths on Monday.

“The 1st #COVID19 death in Nigeria has been recorded,” the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), tweeted on Monday.

“The case was a 67-year-old male who returned home following medical treatment in the U.K.,” the NCDC added.

According to John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Centre Nigeria has so far reported 36. Out of them two patients have recovered.

Zimbabwe, a landlocked country in southern Africa also reported first death. Zororo Makamba, son of a top Zimbabwean businessman, James Makamba died at a Harare hospital, family members confirmed.

Zororo had returned to Harare from New York on March 9, He had tested positive on March 21.

The COVID-19 outbreak that started in Wuhan, China, has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University shows the virus has now spread to 167 countries and regions.

Over 350,536 cases and 15,328 deaths have been reported worldwide since last December, while more than 100,182 people have recovered.

*John Cassim contributed to this story from Harare, Zimbabwe.