Medical personnel attend to a patient in Martini Hospital, the country's only medical facility dedicated to treating COVID-19 patients in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, May 9, 2020. (Xinhua/Hassan Bashi)
Somali government announced that domestic flights, which were suspended for almost two months due to COVID-19, will resume operations on June 8.
MOGADISHU, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The Somali government announced on Thursday that domestic flights which were suspended due to COVID-19 will resume operations on June 8.
The Ministry of Transport and Aviation of Somalia said it has reached an agreement with aviation companies to resume local flights with strict guidelines from the Health Ministry.
Mohamed Omar, Somali Minister for Transport and Aviation said the Ministry of Health will offer personal protective equipment and other medical supplies to help curb the spread of respiratory disease.
The ban has been in place for the past two months as part of a raft of measures imposed by Somalia to help contain the spread of the pandemic.
People wearing locally manufactured face masks walk on a street in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, April 19, 2020. (Xinhua/Hassan Bashi)
Omar said in a meeting attended by aviation stakeholders that all passengers will be screened before entering the airport and after to ensure adherence to health guidelines.
He said passengers and flight staff will be required to follow instructions on the prevention of coronavirus issued by the Ministry of Health.
The minister said the government has put all mechanisms in place to ensure the smooth resumption of local flights but with strict rules which will apply to all aviation players.
The ease of restrictions in the aviation sector comes amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in Somalia which has so far reported 2,204 cases amid concerns the cases are largely due to community transmission. ■