Many African airlines have suspended flights to China due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
RwandAir, Air Madagascar, Air Mauritus and Royal Air Maroc have all announced a suspension of flights to mainland China.
According to the airlines this move is indefinite as they indicate their preparedness to offer refund or re-route passengers who had booked flights to China.
On Thursday the World Health Organization declared Coronavirus a global emergency as the outbreak continues to spread outside China.
According to the global health body 98 cases have been reported in 18 countries outside of China, but no deaths.
There have been eight cases of human-to-human infection as well reported in Germany, Japan, Vietnam and the United States.
Over 200 people are now believed to have died from the virus with over 2000 cases reported across the world.
The African airlines announced their decision to suspend flights following the WHO’s declaration.
— RwandAir (@FlyRwandAir) January 31, 2020
Due to the important decrease in the Beijing flights demand, Royal Air Maroc has decided to temporarily suspend this route starting from 31/01/2020 and until 29/02/2020.
— Royal Air Maroc (@RAM_Maroc) January 30, 2020
— Kenya Airways (@KenyaAirways) January 31, 2020
Cases in Africa
Six suspected cases have been reported across Africa over the last week but the patients tested negative for the virus.
The inability of health officials in China and beyond to find an immediate solution to contain the spread has sparked concerns.
The WHO director-general, chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva that “The main reason is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries.”
He said “Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, and which are ill-prepared to deal with it.”
Several African countries have been putting people suspected of having the virus in quarantine, while conducting further tests.
Source: Africafeeds.com
