Four people who violated flights ban restrictions into Djibouti and instead sneaked in by road through Somaliland have tested positive for COVID-19 adding to 18 the number of identified cases in the country.
According to authorities in Djibouti, the four were stopped at lowya-Adde area, located at the border with Somaliland and eventually tested positive for the global pandemic upon testing.
The four people were initially travelling to Djibouti by air but they changed plans and chose to travel by road to enter the country following the coming into effect of flights ban.
The country’s director general of health Dr. Salah Benoyta confirmed the four cases noting they will be sent to Arte medical centre for isolation and treatment.
The discovery of the four cases raises concerns that they may have come into contact and subsequently infected people in Somaliland during their stay there. There were no immediate reports on tracing and quarantine of the possible contacts in Somaliland.
The development comes amid concerns that the Ethiopian Airlines continues to fly into Egal Airport in Hargeisa despite the Federal Government ban on international flights into the country.
Sources close to the Somali Civil Aviation Authority which extended the international flights ban indefinitely Friday have intimated to HOL that the airline is in direct violation of the NOTAM issued by the authority mid-March and renewed March 28.
Ethiopia has since recorded 21 COVID-19 cases. Two more cases were recorded Sunday in Adama located in the Oromia region.
