Kenyan patient admitted to hospital does not have coronavirus, government says

A Kenyan student who was admitted to the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi after returning from China with flu-like symptoms, tested negative for the coronavirus, the Kenyan government has said.

Botswana and Kenya's health departments on Friday released statements confirming tests on "suspected" cases of the coronavirus, as countries remain on edge following the deadly outbreak which the World Health Organisation declared a global emergency.

In Kenya, a student who had arrived in the country, was quarantined at the Kenyatta National Hospital on arriving back from China, and according to a report by the country's Daily Nation news outlet the student tested negative.

The outgoing Health Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki is quoted by the publication as saying: "I can confirm that results on the suspected coronavirus case sent to [labs in] South Africa for validation are negative."