LAGOS, March 26 (Reuters) - Nigeria will only allow cargo
vessels that have been at sea for more than two weeks to dock in
its ports to prevent the spread of coronavirus, President
Muhammadu Buhari said on Thursday.
Health experts fear a widespread outbreak in Africa's most
populous country of 200 million people which could overwhelm its
creaking healthcare system.
Nigeria has closed its land borders and international
airports in the last week to curb the spread of the
virus. Buhari said on Twitter he had issued a directive that "only
cargo vessels that have been at sea for more than 14 days be
allowed to dock in our ports, after the crew have been tested
and confirmed disease-free by the port health authorities".
Earlier, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said
14 new coronavirus cases had been identified, taking the total
number to 65. Six of the new cases were detected on one vessel.
The president said the new restrictions would not apply to
ships carrying oil and gas products because there was minimal
human contact on such vessels.
The restrictions risk creating supply chain problems.
Manufacturers said this week the port wait time for ships
had jumped to as long as 90 days. With airports closed to
international flights and limiting crew access, air cargo
deliveries could become increasingly unreliable.