TALLINN (AFP) - Estonia reported its first coronavirus case on Thursday (Feb 27), a day after the man returned to the Baltic nation of just 1.3 million people from his homeland Iran.

"The person, a permanent resident of Estonia who is not a citizen, arrived in Estonia on Wednesday evening," Social Affairs Minister Tanel Kiik told public broadcaster ERR.

He said the Iranian citizen is currently hospitalised.

Local media said the man arrived in Tallinn by bus from the Latvian capital Riga.

"For now, there are no plans of putting cities in quarantine following this one case," Mr Kiik said.

"The patient is isolated, there is no risk of the disease spreading, now we have to identify all the people the patient was in contact with."

Iran has announced a total of 19 deaths and more than 130 infections, including the country's deputy health minister.

Iran's coronavirus death toll is the highest after that of China, where more than 2,700 people have died from the disease.