SARAJEVO (Reuters) – A Bosnian woman became the first to die of the coronavirus in the Balkan country, the manager of a hospital in the northwestern town of Bihac said on Saturday.
“The first victim is an elderly woman who died in the hospital even before her test for coronavirus showed positive. She had a history of chronic diseases,” Hajrudin Havic said.
Bosnia has declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak. [L8N2BA549]
It has so far reported 90 cases of coronavirus infections.
Bosnia’s autonomous Serb Republic imposed a night curfew as of Sunday and banned people over the age of 65 from leaving their homes.
The Bosniak-Croat Federation, the country’s other autonomous half, is also expected to impose the curfew.
The federation’s civil defense service on Friday banned people over the age of 65 and under 18 from leaving their homes until March 31 to try to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Both regions have also closed schools and universities, suspended public transport and closed all shops, except food stores and pharmacies.
Reporting by Maja Zuvela; editing by Alexander Smith and Jason Neely