JOHANNESBURG – More than half of Africa’s 54 countries have closed their land, air and sea borders to fight the spread of the coronavirus, authorities said Friday, but fears are growing that the restrictions are delaying deliveries of critical aid.
African nations have closed airports and locked down some of the continent’s largest cities out of caution, but that compounds the serious problem of shortages of health items and more.
The continent now has more than 7,000 confirmed virus cases. Aid organizations are now in the extraordinary situation of negotiating for humanitarian corridors in peaceful regions after at least 32 countries closed their borders, according to Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.