For detailed information about road disruptions in Africa please follow the reports of Bolloré and Logistics Cluster, which give the detailed situation country-by-country worldwide.
World Food Programme reports
The UN World Food Programme Emergency Division and Travel Unit have produced a map showing travel restrictions worldwide. Information on the following selected ACP countries is summarised from the WFP website.
Cameroon
All land and maritime borders have been closed. Restrictions do not apply for cargo and to Cameroon nationals wishing to go back home. Internal restrictions: All social venues are closed. As of 30 April, restaurants and bars are allowed to remain open after 18.00 (local time). Social distancing measures and the wearing of face masks are mandatory for the customers. A systematic sanctioning of those people found to have breached restriction and confinement measures are imposed. Checkpoints to be set up in urban and rural areas. The wearing of face masks is mandatory in taxis and public transport. Public transport restrictions have been lifted however wearing of masks remains compulsory and surcharges remain banned.
Côte d’Ivoire
International restrictions: All land, sea and air borders remain closed until at least 31 May and international flights are banned, except for freight. Internal restrictions: A state of emergency is in force until at least 31 May. The Greater Abidjan metropolitan area is isolated from the rest of the country at least until 31 May. Greater Abidjan includes the Abidjan Autonomous District and the surrounding towns of Assinie, Azaguie, Bonoua, Dabou and Grand-Bassam. Unauthorised internal travel between Greater Abidjan and the interior of the country is banned. For essential travel only, the request for a laissez-passer permit must be done online 24 hours prior to setting out accompanied by a negative COVID-19 test. The permit remains valid for 72 hours and outside of curfew times. Vulnerable individuals (elderly people and people with chronic diseases) are to remain home until further notice. Relaxation in restrictions: The nationwide curfew has been lifted. However, a curfew will be reinstated on areas where the authorities deem it necessary, due to a surge of COVID-19 cases. The curfew in the Greater Abidjan was lifted on 15 May. Wearing of masks in public remains mandatory. Bars, night clubs and movie theatres remain closed at least until 31 May, while restaurants and ‘maquis’ are allowed to reopen. Schools will be allowed to reopen on 25 May. Gatherings are limited to 200 people.
Ghana
Internal restrictions limiting movement in the Greater Accra region (including the capital Accra) and Greater Kumasi (Ashanti region) have been lifted. However, public gatherings are still banned until 31 May. Face masks are compulsory for each citizen nationwide when in public places. Suspension of all public gatherings, both private and business (including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies, sporting events, religious activities). Public transport operators are required to limit the number of passengers and enforce social distancing and hygiene protocols on board. All schools are to remain closed until further notice. Beaches are closed and will be patrolled by police to enforce restrictions.
Guinea
External borders closed. Internal restrictions: Exit from the capital Conakry has been prohibited. Entry to the city is not affected. The state of emergency has been extended at least until 15 June. A night-time curfew is in place from 21.00 until 05.00. All internal travel is prohibited except under exceptional circumstances. Non-essential facilities, such as places of worship and schools, have been closed, while gatherings of more than 20 people have been banned and public transport in Conakry reduced. This triggered a strike in the public transport network to denounce this decision. The wearing of face masks in public is mandatory across the country. All suspected COVID-19 cases are sent to one of the four laboratories in the country available for COVID-19 testing. People are required to stay in the laboratories until the test result comes back.
Kenya
Kenya’s borders with Somalia and Tanzania are closed to passenger traffic and those ferrying automobiles across the borders until at least 15 June. While cargo vehicles are exempt from the measure, truck drivers are required to undergo mandatory health screening for COVID-19. Those coming into the country must undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine at a government-designated facility at their own expense. Internal restrictions: the nationwide curfew from 19.00 to 05.00 has been extended by the authorities until at least 6 June; essential sectors remain exempt from the measure. No movement in or out of the capital Nairobi, as well as Kilifi, Kwale, Mandera and Mombasa counties, is permitted during this time. Police controls have been put in place to ensure compliance with the movement restrictions. No entry and exit movement is permitted into and out of the Eastleigh area in Nairobi and Mombasa’s Old Town until 21 May (closure of markets and restaurants in both areas). A ban on movement in or out of Kilifi, Kwale, Mandera Mombasa and the capital Nairobi is in place until at least 6 June. All people should acquire a mask and wear it when in public. Nakuru CBD has been put on lockdown. The governor of Murang’a has banned incoming travellers from other counties. Residents exiting or travelling within Murang’a will be questioned on the necessity of their journeys to reduce non-essential movement. Markets have been closed indefinitely in Gakoe, Gatukuyu, Jamhuri, Kamwangi, Kiambu and Madarak counties. In Homa Bay, roadblocks are in place on all primary routes into the county, and health officials are conducting screenings on those entering. Similar checkpoints are in place in Naivasha (Nakuru), though primarily targeting Public Service Vehicles.
Nigeria
Movement around different regions is not allowed, so movement of goods could face some kind of restrictions. Every region has its own rules on curfew and total lockdown. Markets are open with restrictions on certain days a week, different days for every region. Transports of essential goods will remain possible. Use of mask obligatory in most places.
Europe
Traffic remains much more fluid inside the EU countries in order to transport cargo; however, border controls are effective in many countries and long queues are reported, especially between central European countries. Waiting time can be up to 2–3 hours to cross a border. This can be a big problem when transporting perishables that have to cross more than two countries. The same delays are present from the beginning of the outbreak, however borders around Germany the traffic is flowing much better than in precedent weeks. We can still see delays in borders from Hungary to Romania, Romania to Bulgaria, Slovenia to Croatia, Austria to Italy.
Sixfold provides an excellent tool to check live information on queues at EU borders.