Bosnia and Herzegovina reported its first two cases of coronavirus infection on Thursday, in a father and son from the central Bosnian city of Banja Luka. The father had recently returned from working in Italy, Health Minister of Bosnia's Republika Srpska entity, Alen Seranic, said on Thursday morning.

“We have a first confirmed coronavirus case. The patient is a middle-aged man who works in Italy and who returned from there last month. He resides in Banja Luka and, following recommendations, he reported to his doctor who sent him to the RS Clinical Centre,” Seranic told reporters in Banja Luka.

He noted that they tested the patient earlier this week and that he tested positive. According to him, the patient is isolated at the RS Clinical Centre and that he feels good.

Seranic added that the patient’s son also tested positive for coronavirus, but that his wife tested negative.

“The child from this family had tested positive. The child attends the Branko Copic Elementary School and we established measures for this school as well,” Seranic stressed. “It’s important to note that experts are engaged in the process and they are running the measures.”

According to the RS Health Institute’s data, 144 people from this Serb-dominated entity arrived from virus-affected areas and they are all placed under observation.

The conference was attended by the RS Health Minister Alen Seranic acting RS Public Health Institute director Branislav Zaljkovic and RS University Clinical Centre general manager Vlado Djajic, as well as Banja Luka Mayor Igor Radojicic.

Bosnia consists of two entities created in 1995 in a power-sharing agreement which divided the country along ethnic lines: the Federation (FBiH) which is shared by ethnic Bosniaks and ethnic Croats, and Republika Srpska (RS), dominated by ethnic Serbs. Each entity has its own health ministry and health care system, decentralised from the Sarajevo government.