Arik suspends flights to 3 African countries over coronavirus outbreak

The suspension of flights will take effect on Monday, March 23, according to the airline.

Nigerian airline, Arik, has announced the suspension of flights to Ghana, Liberia and Senegal due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic sweeping the world.

The airline announced on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 that the suspension is part of its safety measures following the outbreak.

According to an official company statement, Arik's flight services to Accra in Ghana, Monrovia in Liberia, and Dakar in Senegal will be indefinitely suspended from Monday, March 23.

"The safety and well-being of our personnel and valued customers are paramount at this critical time. We do not want to take chances and this is why we have taken this decision," the airline said.

The company said it will ensure a prompt refund of tickets to customers whose travel plans are affected by the suspension.

Nigeria recently joined a growing list of countries banning travellers from other coronavirus-hit countries [Twitter/@MansurIB007]

Many countries, including Nigeria, have banned flights from areas struggling with containing coronavirus.

Nigeria currently has 7 confirmed cases in total, all of them with a history of travel from Italy, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

Another person that previously tested positive last week later tested negative and was discharged days later. No deaths have been recorded in the country.

Since coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan, China in December, over 200,000 people have been infected, and at least 8,000 killed around the world. More than 82,000 people have also recovered from the virus.