PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC)— The President of Haiti, Jovenel Moise, on Thursday declared a state of health emergency following the confirmation of two cases of COVID-19 in the French speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member state.

Speaking during a news conference late Thursday, Moise said the country’s ports, airports and borders would be closed to people from midnight on Thursday, although they would remain open for goods traffic.

Schools, universities, places of worship and industrial parks would be closed and a curfew would be in force from 8:00 pm to 5:00 am (local time) as of Friday.

During the state of emergency, the president said schools, voodoo temples, churches and all other places of worship will remain closed until further notice.

He said the government will also make the appropriate arrangements to provide hospitals with masks, gloves, medicines, fluids and all other necessary medical supplies.

In addition, citizens are asked to stay home or limit their trips only to what is necessary and Individuals coming from high-risk areas will be automatically placed in quarantine for a period of 14 days.

Haiti was one of the last Caribbean nations to remain free of COVID-19 and had suspended flights from Europe, Latin America and Canada and imposed major restrictions on the border with the neighbouring Dominican Republic earlier this week in a bid to prevent the disease’s entry.