Majuro (Marshall Islands) (AFP)
The Marshall Islands has banned all flights to their territory for a period of two weeks, a measure to protect the country from the new coronavirus.
Coming into force Sunday evening, this measure is valid until March 22, announced the Department of Health.
Air and sea arrivals from ten countries - including China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, France and Spain - were also banned, with some exceptions to allow imports from certain countries. essential products, including food.
The Marshalls, a state halfway between Australia and Hawaii, also ordered cruise ships and yachts not to anchor in their ports.
With a population of around 80,000, the archipelago welcomed some 6,000 foreign tourists in 2018, according to the most recent data from the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
No cases of Covid-19 contamination have been recorded.
The Marshalls had already banned government officials and elected officials from traveling abroad last month, except for patients who require medical treatment that cannot be dispensed locally.
Authorities "strongly advised" residents to delay travel abroad until further notice.
© 2020 AFP