#COVID19: Benin, Mali Nationals Carrying Virus Into Gabon
Neighbouring countries from West and Central Africa are increasing COVID-19 cases in Gabon.
Nationals from the West African countries of Benin and Mali have been identified as the leading carriers of the COVID-19 into Gabon.
According to Gabon’s Ministry of Health, travellers from these two countries have constituted the highest number of foreigners entering the country and testing positive since the beginning of 2021.
“Contrary to popular opinion in the country right now, travellers from western countries, especially Europe, do not constitute the majority of coronavirus carriers arriving in Gabon since the beginning of the second wave of the pandemic,” an official of the Ministry of Health who did not want to be identified because he is not the official spokesperson of the ministry told HumAngle on Sunday.
“Rather, it is carriers from West Africa who are in the majority.”
Since the beginning of 2021, the official revealed that 53 passengers arriving from Paris have tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival in Libreville.
Fifty-six persons from Mali tested positive, and 44 others from Cote d’Ivoire also tested positive.
Topping the list of positive cases are passengers from Benin, with 62 individuals tested positive on their arrival at the Leon Mba airport in Libreville.
Other African countries among the top 10 carriers of the coronavirus into Gabon include; Senegal with 33 cases, Togo with 25 cases and Burkina Faso with 14 cases.
Since the beginning of this year, Cameroon has 24 passengers also testing positive on arrival at the Libreville international airport.
The government has revealed that the British variant of the COVID-19 is yet to be signalled in the country.
Meanwhile, Gabon’s coronavirus infection situation as of Sunday, Feb. 28, stands at 14,564 positive cases, 13,143 recoveries and 83 deaths.
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