YAOUNDE, Cameroon

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has cancelled all official ceremonies marking the 2021 edition of the country’s national day due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, secretary general at the president’s office, said in a statement that Biya urged Cameroonians to strictly observe government-prescribed social distancing measures during the commemoration of May 20 as well as the celebration of forthcoming religious feast days.

Unity Day is a holiday in Cameroon celebrated on May 20 as the country’s national day.

On May 20, 1972 in a national referendum, Cameroonians voted for a unitary state as opposed to the existing federal state.

In the statement late Wednesday, Ngoh Ngoh recalled that despite the country’s commendable performance in the fight against COVID-19, the pandemic is a tragic reality against which “we should endeavor to protect ourselves by complying with barrier measures and getting vaccinated.”

The Central African country has so far registered 74,946 coronavirus cases, with 70,497 recoveries and 1,152 deaths, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.