Africa in grip of anxiety over virus as airlines start cancellations

Anxiety rose in Africa as two major airlines yesterday announced sweeping cancellations of international flights over the coronavirus and the continent’s busiest airport said foreigners cannot disembark.

South African Airways suspended all international flights until June. Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier, cancelled flights to 30 countries. That airline, which operates a key continental hub, had long been under pressure from some in Africa’s second most populous country to halt flights to highrisk countries.

South Africa said coronavirus cases jumped to 202, the most in the subsaharan region. In a serious risk of local transmission, five of the new cases had attended a church gathering of more than 200 people in central Free State province. All had arrived from abroad. Authorities were rushing to find other attendees.

Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport said aircraft with foreigners “will be contained at an isolated bay with all officials ensuring the utmost care is taken”, following up on travel restrictions announced days ago when South Africa declared a national disaster.

Foreigners across the continent of more than 1.3 billion people face the growing risk of being stranded as countries close borders.

Two other African nations yesterday announced their first cases, Madagascar and Cape Verde. Thirty-eight countries on the continent now have cases.