Health officials in Equatorial Guinea have confirmed the country's fifteenth case of COVID-19. The patient is a 62-year-old Cuban national who was in close contact with a crewmember of the ship Asemar who also tested positive for the virus.

The patient is being held in isolation at a designated facility in the mainland coastal city of Bata, health officials said.

Nine of the country's COVID-19 cases are in the country's island region, where the capital Malabo is located, while six are on the mainland.

Equatorial Guinea's first confirmed COVID-19 patient, a 42-year-old woman, has already recovered and was released from the hospital today. Officials say she will remain under home-isolation for one week to avoid the risk of further transmission.

The oil-rich nation shares an important maritime boundary with Sao Tome and Principe, one of just six remaining African countries that have not confirmed the presence of COVID-19 in their territory.