Haiti Suspends Flights From Europe, Canada, Latin America Over COVID-19 Outbreak

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th March, 2020) The Haitian authorities decided to suspend flights to and from the European and Latin American countries to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the country's prime minister, Joseph Jouthe, said on Sunday.

According to the Haitian Health Ministry, no COVID-19 cases have yet been registered in the country. Meanwhile, the neighboring Dominican Republic reported 11 cases of infection.

"All flights to and from Europe, Canada, the Dominican Republic and Latin America will be banned for the next two weeks starting from midnight on March 16, 2020. Air services continue only with the United States after reaching an agreement with the US authorities," Jouthe wrote on Twitter.

The prime minister added that US specialists would conduct pre-boarding screening tests of passengers. At the same time, passengers from the United States will be screened by experts of the Haitian Health Ministry upon arrival in the country.

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization declared the spread of the COVID-19 a pandemic. The number of coronavirus cases worldwide has surpassed 160,000, with over 6,000 fatalities, while more than 75,000 people recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University.