The South Sudan government is “concerned” about a rise in coronavirus infections in neighboring Ethiopia, an official said.

Ethiopia is among the four nations worst hit in Africa by Covid-19, following behind South Africa, Egypt, and Morocco. From mid-March to date, Ethiopia has reported 60,784 cases, a figure surpassed in the continent by South Africa, with 639,362 infections, Egypt (100,041), and Morocco (75,721).

Ethiopian Airlines operates daily flights between Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa and Juba.

Spokesperson of South Sudan’s Ministry of Health Thou Loi said that “significant upticks” in Ethiopia are a cause for concern for his country. “This is why we continue to be vigilant in strengthening the existing surveillance systems to control the spread of the disease,” he said.

However, Ethiopian Airlines will continue operating the flight, and the two countries would continue engaging in cooperation to jointly fight the pandemic, the spokesperson told reporters in Juba.

South Sudan resumed international flights in early July nearly four months after closing down its air space in efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19. The country confirmed its first COVID-19 case on April 5 and the number has since risen to 2,545, with 48 deaths as of Tuesday.