Dr Sergio Lobo, a spokesperson for the Integrated Crises Management Centre (CIGC), said in the organisation’s daily address that people should remain vigalent about symptoms of the respiratory disease, that included fever, tiredness and dry cough.

He said people should also be monitoring for signs of dengue fever and tuberculosis (TB), with infection rates of the two diseases increasing in recent months.

TB is currently a worldwide pandemic that kills around 1.7 million people a year.

The infection is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis and destroys patients’ lung tissue, causing them to cough up the bacteria, which then spreads through the air and can be inhaled by others.

According to the World Health Organisation, Timor-Leste has one of the highest rates of TB in Southeast Asia.

To avoid infections, Dr Lobo called on citizens to continue following thorough and regular handwashing hygiene guidelines and practice social distancing of one metre.