Chile’s Ministry of Health confirmed Tuesday the first case of coronavirus in the country.

Chile has become the fourth South American nation to register Covid-19 cases after Brazil, Ecuador and Argentina.

In a statement, the Government said they are dealing with a 33-year-old male doctor who works in San Javier, a town in central Chile.

He was admitted to hospital in Talca after travelling for a month across South East Asia.

Health minister Jaime Mañalich said that the tourist came back to Chile on Tuesday 25 February and that, in the final leg of his trip, he flew from Madrid to Santiago.

The airline he flew was asked to provide a full list with the names of all the passengers on board that flight.

The ministry announced that the patient could be allowed to go home in the following hours; however, they claimed the person will be “closely monitored”.

UPDATE: The patient was sent home for self-quarantine on Wednesday morning, local authorities informed.