Senegal will suspend, toward midnight on Wednesday, all passenger flights to and from Europe and North Africa for a period of 30 days, Senegalese Minister of Tourism and Air Transport Alioune Sarr announced Monday evening.

During the daily press briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic, Sarr said the decision to suspend flights from France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Tunisia and Algeria is to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Senegal.

But, according to him, cargo flights and medical evacuations are not affected by this measure.

Morocco has already suspended air links with Senegal since Sunday, while Algeria announced on Monday to temporarily stop flights to six African countries, including Senegal.

So far, Senegal has reported 27 cases of COVID-19. Two patients have been declared by local health authorities as cured.

Among the 27 cases, nine are imported cases, while the rest belong to local transmission.