ANKARA: Turkey and Bolivia announced their first cases of novel coronavirus on Wednesday.
"A male citizen tested positive for the coronavirus in the evening," Turkey Health Minister Fahrettin Koca was quoted as saying at a press conference in the capital by Anadolu Agency.
"The patient's general condition is good. All his family members and those who came into contact with him are under watch," the minister added.
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"An early diagnosis (of the patient) was made. If there is a virus infection in the country, it is very limited. One or more cases of the coronavirus should not be considered an epidemic," he noted.
The infected individual contracted the virus after returning from Europe and has been placed under isolation.
Health officials also urged people to not leave the country until in a case of emergency.
Meanwhile, in Bolivia, two cases of coronavirus were confirmed by Health Minister Anibal Cruz in a public address.
Turkey last month closed its border with Iran, which has been hard-hit by the virus and cancelled all flights to the country.
The coronavirus, officially known also COVID-19, was first detected last December in Wuhan, in central China, and has spread to across 107 countries worldwide.
The global death toll from the coronavirus is now over 4,260, with more than 118,100 confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.