Close ally of Ivory Coast leader contracts coronavrius

Patrick Achi, one of Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara’s closest allies, on Thursday announced he has contracted the novel coronavirus.

“I have tested positive for COVID19 and am, therefore, confined to my home, although I have no symptoms,” Achi, the secretary-general to the Ivory Coast presidency, said on Twitter and Facebook.

Sixty-four-year-old Achi is close to President Ouattara who he meets with often.

He became secretary-general to the presidency in January 2017 succeeding Amadou Gon Coulibaly who was named as prime minister, the post he still holds.

“I’m being looked after by marvellous medical professionals who will surely help me to overcome this ordeal,” Achi tweeted while urging his fellow Ivorians to respect the social distancing rules in place to stem the spread of the virus.

Defence Minister Hamed Bakayoko announced on April 6 that he had caught the virus, but there has been no official news since then on his state of health.

There have been 688 COVID0-19 cases and six deaths, according to official figures.