Cameroon’s President, Paul Biya, has authorised Air France commercial flights to land in the nation’s Yaounde Nsimalen and Douala International Airports, from May 4 to June 30, 2020.
The information is contained in a letter addressed to the Director General of the Cameroon Civil Aviation Authority, and signed by the Minister of Transport, Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe, on May 11, in Yaounde.
Going by the Minister, only passengers with a COVID-19 negative test will be permitted in the flights. Thus, the said passengers will have to sign an engagement form to auto-confine themselves and take care of any related charges on their own upon landing in Cameroon.
“In addition, I would like to draw attention to the fact that, passengers on the said flights will have to present a negative screening test for coronavirus upon boarding, and subscribe to a self-confinement commitment upon arrival in Cameroon,” said the Minister.
Minister Ngalle Bibehe further stated that, adequate dispositions need to be taken to ensure that individual passengers are followed-up once they are in Cameroon. He emphasized on the systematic and obligatory wearing of masks as well as the respect of social distance measures set by government, which he said should be respected by the said passengers and Air France personnel.
The decision to authorise commercial flights by Air France, comes two weeks after government announced it’s relaxing of certain COVID-19 restriction measures. The decision also came two months after restrictions to curb the spread the coronavirus amongst which border closure, were put in place.
By Annie Babelle Odounlami