African countries rush to reinforce 'fragile' defences against coronavirus

Health officials raise concerns that many African countries are ill-equipped to combat the virus

• Coronavirus quarantine precautions around the world

African countries are rushing to reinforce their defences against the rapidly spreading coronavirus, as health officials say many countries on the continent are ill-equipped to combat the potentially lethal disease.

There have been no verified infections in Africa to date, but porous borders, a continuing flow of travellers and poorly resourced healthcare systems have raised fears that the virus could spread rapidly if the precautions of local authorities prove inadequate.