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Sudan closes airports and borders over coronavirus fears

March 16, 2020 at 6:12 pm

A plane prepares to land at Khartoum International Airport in the Sudanese capital on March 31, 2019 [ASHRAF SHAZLY/AFP / Getty]

Sudan’s ruling sovereign council closed all airports, ports and land crossings and declared a public health emergency on Monday over fears about the spread of coronavirus, reports Reuters.

Only humanitarian, commercial and technical support shipments would be excluded from the restrictions, according to a spokesman for the ruling council, in charge of the country since the ouster of veteran ruler Omar al-Bashir.

A military spokesman told state news agency SUNA in a separate statement that cadets and trainees at military institutes would be given leave as a precaution.

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