BUENOS AIRES -- A 64-year-old man infected with COVID-19 died in Argentina on Saturday, becoming the first death related to the virus in South America, the Argentine health ministry said.

The ministry said the man caught "a fever, a cough, and a sore throat" after he visited France in February.

On Wednesday, the man was sent to an "intensive care unit, requiring assisted ventilation," health authorities said, adding that the patient also suffered from diabetes, hypertension, chronic bronchitis, and low kidney function.

All patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in Argentina are linked to recent travel to Europe. Seven of the patients, including the deceased, are Buenos Aires residents.

A total of at least nine cases have been reported in Argentina by Saturday.