Sudan’s ruling sovereign council on Monday ordered a shutdown of the country’s airports, ports and land crossings in a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The council also declared a public health emergency in the country in response to the country’s only confirmed COVID-19 case.
The move by Sudan is similar to actions taken by other countries in Africa and beyond as the disease continues to spread across the globe.
Africa’s COVID-19 cases remain relatively low compared to other regions but the number has spiked recently causing concern.
As of Monday 17 March 2020, 30 countries had confirmed COVID-19 cases, the latest being Liberia, Tanzania and Benin.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in the continent has now surpassed 400.
The outbreak of the novel coronavirus has also interrupted other activities across Africa, including education and sports as government’s banned public gatherings.
