Djibouti: Authorities to close land borders until November 4 /update 6

Event

The President of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, announced on Tuesday, October 20, that the country's land borders will be closed with immediate effect for travelers until November 4 due to an uptick of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases. Exceptions are in place for cargo transport. International passenger rail services will also be suspended for this duration.

International travelers arriving via air travel, will be subject to screening at the travelers expense; any travelers that test positive for the virus will immediately be taken to a treatment centre. Wearing masks is compulsory at Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport (JIB).

Other restrictions in place include the mandatory use of face coverings in public, and private spaces where social distancing is not possible, as well as a ban on gatherings of more than ten people.

As of October 20, there have been 5499 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, and 61 associated fatalities. Further international spread of the virus is expected in the near term.

Context

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). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

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. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, seek medical care urgently and share your previous travel history with your health care provider.