Photo: Xinhua

El Salvador has registered its first COVID-19 case, President Nayib Bukele said on Wednesday.

The patient is known to have travelled to Italy and is now being isolated in the Salvadoran municipality of Metapan, Bukele said in a televised address.

Since the patient entered El Salvador "through a blind spot," it is "very likely" that he had come into contact with several people and infected more, Bukele said, adding that the government is already looking for epidemiological links to isolate those people to stem further spread.

He also announced the creation of a specialized hospital to deal with infections and recommended that citizens follow the sanitary measures issued by the health authorities, including staying home.