KABUL - The Ministry of Public Health on Saturday announced that "no positive case of the coronavirus was reported in the country in the last 24 hours," but results from 12 cases are pending.

A ministry spokesman, Wahidullah Mayar, said that, in total, 449 suspected cases have been tested from 28 provinces (including the 12 still pending). He said that 24 cases have tested positive, and of these one has recovered.

He said that most suspected cases have been reported from Herat and Kabul.

According to Mayar, at least 950 people have visited the Afghan-Japan hospital in Kabul to test for the coronavirus in the last two days. Six of them were suspected, he said.

In response to rumors about Afghans in Iran not being admitted to hospitals if they test positive--or being otherwise mistreated or even delibarately poisioned--Mayar said it might be dangerous to spread rumors.

Mayar said that "almost all provinces have facilities for the treatment of suspected patients of the coronavirus," referring to Isolation areas and primary healthcare centers.

In response to a question about whether the public health minister has been tested for the coronavirus, Mayar said the minister is in good health but he has had some health problems due to an overload of work and lack of sleep. (TOLO NEWS)