Colombia declared its first case of novel coronavirus on Friday after a 19-year-old woman arriving from Italy tested positive for the virus, the health ministry said.
The woman "presented with symptoms and went to the health services where samples were taken for analysis. The National Institute of Health confirmed positive test results," the ministry said in a statement.
The woman arrived in the Colombian capital on February 26 from Milan, where she was studying, Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez said on Twitter.
The student was treated on March 2 at a Bogota clinic.
"We will follow protocol and the agreed treatment," wrote Lopez, calling for "calm, zero panic."
Coronavirus cases topped 100,000 worldwide across more than 90 countries on Friday, and has killed more than 3,450 people.
Colombia is one of only a handful of Latin American countries to confirm cases to date, the others being Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Chile and Ecuador.
Up to now no deaths have been reported in the region.
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