Niger’s president Mahamadou Issoufou has announced the closure of the country’s land borders, Niamey airport and its educational institutions to prevent the entry into the territory of coronavirus.
There are currently no confirmed cases of the virus in the landlocked African country. The measures follow a trend where African countries are issuing directives to combat the virus.
President Issoufou said in an address: “Our country Niger is spared for the moment but like the others, we are not immune to the contagion because the world has become a village, the weakness of the health systems of our countries imposes on us the need for prevention much more than others.”
According to Issoufou, all land borders will be closed for a period of two weeks starting from March 19th at midnight except for the transport of goods.
The first case of the virus in Africa was recorded in Egypt on February 14, since then over thirty African countries have recorded a combined tally of 400 plus cases. The death toll as at today (March 18) is put at about a dozen.