DAR ES SALAAM— Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority on Easter Sunday, April 12, announced a suspension of all international passenger flights due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Cargo flights are exempt from the suspension, but crew members will be quarantined at Tanzania government facilities during their stay, the TCAA said.
President John Magufuli in a televised announced that the country will not be closing its borders due to humanitarian concerns, as the closure would impact land-locked countries in the region dependent on its ports.
On Saturday, April 4, authorities announced that all inbound travelers are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine in government-designated facilities at their own expense.
Commercial cargo vehicles will need to declare their final destination upon entry to the country and self-quarantine onboard their vehicle for the duration of their stay.
Meanwhile, all tourist hotels have also been closed as a precautionary measure.
As of Friday, April 10, the Ministry of Health had confirmed 32 cases of COVID-19 nationwide, including three fatalities.
Further international spread of the virus is expected in the near term, according to authorities.
The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China).
Human-to-human and patient-to-medical staff transmission of the virus have been confirmed.
Many of the associated fatalities have been due to pneumonia caused by the virus, according to Health Authorities.
Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly, and are usually effective immediately.
Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question.
