Coronavirus: Togo suspends all flights from high-risk countries
Tuesday, 17 March 2020 14:54 
(Togo First) - Amid the continued spread of the coronavirus, Togo will, starting next Friday, suspend all flights from high-risk countries. The suspension period has been set to two weeks and could be extended depending on how things progress.
Also, travelers from such countries, France and Italy for example, who came by air or land, must isolate themselves with regular medical care, while ensuring minimum contact (even with family members), over 14 days.
Regarding land borders, Togolese authorities will reinforce health controls and while they emphasized that so far Togo has kept these borders open, their closure remains an eventuality.
Another preventive measure, to be effective next Sunday, concerns the ban of a gathering of more than 100 people for three weeks. Similarly, all international events have been canceled, effective immediately.
The various measures taken by the Covid-19 crisis cell (led by president Faure Gnassingbé himself) were announced during a recent council of ministers and relayed by the embassy of France.
In addition to the new measures, the authorities reminded the public to keep observing recommended precautions (often wash hands with soap or use hand sanitizers, avoid handshakes, and accolades).
At present, all neighbors of Togo have declared at least a case of Covid-19. Ghana, with whom it shares a border, recorded a recent spike in the number of cases (from 2 to 6). All over the continent, more than 130 cases and 20 deaths have been reported across 26 countries (WHO).
Ayi Renaud Dossavi
