DR Congo confirmed its first case of coronavirus on Tuesday, March 10, in a development that is likely to put neighbouring countries on higher alert. 

Eteni Longondo, DR Congo's Minister of Health, said the patient is a Belgian citizen who has been in the country for several days.  

"He is confined to a hospital. We are tracking people who came into contact with him so that they too can be placed in quarantine, and tested...what I’d like to tell people is not to panic,” the Minister said.

This makes DR Congo the seventh Sub-Saharan country to be hit by the virus, adding to Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Cameroon, Togo and Burkina Faso

Kinshasa, in which the confirmed case was found, has a population of more than 10 million people and is served by a direct flight from Kigali everyday. 

Passengers have their temperature taken upon arrival and must fill out a medical questionnaire.

DR Congo is still reeling from a 19-month Ebola epidemic that has killed 2,264 people. With no new cases, the country hopes to end the epidemic by the end of this month.