ADDIS ABABA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- About 24 African countries have already closed their full borders due to concerns related to the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) disclosed on Friday.
"About 24 African countries have already closed their full borders, while 10 other countries have also put in place international air traffic closures," the Africa CDC disclosed in its latest continental situation update on COVID-19 issued on Friday.
The Africa CDC, specialized agency of the 55-member African Union (AU), also stressed that seven other countries in Africa have also put in place travel restrictions to and from specific countries, while seven other countries have also instructed entry restrictions for travelers from specific countries.
"Most member states have imposed mandatory quarantine for all travelers or travelers arriving from high-risk areas," an Africa CDC statement read.
It, however, stressed that some African countries still allow cargo, freight and emergency transport into and out of the country.
Meanwhile, the Africa CDC also on Friday disclosed that the death toll from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the African continent has reached 83 as confirmed positives cases surpassed 3,243 as of Friday.
The highly coronavirus-affected African countries include South Africa with 927, Egypt with 495 cases, Algeria with 302 cases and Morocco with 275 cases as of Thursday morning, according to the Africa CDC.
The continental disease control and prevention agency also disclosed that the Northern African region is the most affected area across the continent both in terms of positive COVID-19 cases, as well as number of deaths, in which Northern African countries have so far registered 1,249 positive COVID-19 cases as well as 60 deaths due to the pandemic.
The southern Africa region, which is the second highly affected in the continent, has also so far registered 972 confirmed COVID-19 cases, while the western African region has also registered 605 confirmed COVID-19 cases as well as 11 deaths.
The Africa CDC also disclosed that some 254 people who have been infected with the COVID-19 have recovered across the continent.
