Angola has suspended air, land and sea connections with South Africa, Australia, Nigeria and UK due to the discovery of the new coronavirus variant SARS-CoV-2.

The directive took effect at midnight on December 26.

The decision was made public through a joint statement by the country’s interior, foreign affairs, health and transport ministries.

As at December 26, Angola had recorded 17,149 coronavirus cases with 6,776 cases still active. It had also recorded 399 deaths and 9,976 recoveries.

The country, with a population of 30 million spread across its 18 provinces, recorded its first Covid-19 cases on March 21 when two people tested positive for the virus.