It said the 13 Angolans, 36 Chinese and one Brazilian were released on Wednesday, but 14 others remained under surveillance.

"All quarantined people are being treated with due humanism," health inspector Miguel de Oliveira told ANGOP, denying allegations on social media about poor conditions at one centre in Calumbo.

"It is normal for citizens to express their complaints and demand beyond what they have, but we are identifying the flaws in these places, for proper correction."

De Oliveira said as of February 18 about 40,794 travellers from different parts of the world were scanned at the 4 de Fevereiro International Airport.

The COVID-19 coronavirus first detected in Wuhan in December has claimed 2,121 lives in China, where there have been 74,675 confirmed cases, according to the World Health Organisation situation report of February 20.

Globally, 75,748 cases in total have been confirmed and there have been eight deaths outside China.

Angola is one of 13 African countries  -- including  Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia -- that WHO has identified as vulnerable due to their direct links or high volumes of travel to China.

African News Agency (ANA)