North Africa braces for coronavirus
It remains unclear how the coronavirus outbreak will affect the economies and social fabric of North African countries.
The coronavirus pandemic is dominating headlines around the world. Europe has overtaken China as the epicenter of the disease, with first-tier powers such as Italy, the United Kingdom and France already straining under the impact of the virus.
The countries of North Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Sudan are bracing themselves. At the time of writing, confirmed cases within the region are relatively low, with Libya claiming no infections at all.
Nevertheless, likely aware of the fragility of their health care systems, countries across North Africa are increasingly isolating themselves from Europe. Restrictions on entry are growing and flights are diminishing. North Africa is effectively preparing to self-quarantine.
“The limited number of flights from the rest of the world to Africa has likely slowed the rate of infection,” said Tolbert Nyenswah, a senior research associate at Johns Hopkins University and a specialist in the containment of communicable diseases. “There is also some evidence from China — though it’s important to stress that it hasn’t been peer reviewed so is not conclusive — that the warmer temperatures may also be slowing the spread of the virus.”
