In response to travel regulations instituted by several African governments and the continued spread of COVID-19, missionaries serving in most missions in Africa who are not native to those regions will be temporarily moved.

The Church announced on Wednesday, March 18, missionaries from outside Africa will return home to self-isolate for 14 days before receiving new temporary assignments in their home countries based on need and capacity.

Missionaries from Africa will travel directly to their new assignments in their home countries. “Any missionaries who are unable to return home due to travel restrictions will continue serving in their current mission,” according to the Church’s updated release.

There are 34 missions in Africa, according to the Church’s statistics on Newsroom. This direction applies to all missions in Africa except:

Angola Luanda

Botswana/Namibia

Kenya Nairobi

South Africa Cape Town

South Africa Durban

South Africa Johannesburg

Uganda Kampala

Zambia Lusaka

Africa is also home to 621,448 members of the Church in 2,150 congregations.

The Church announced March 18, 2020, nonnative missionaries serving in countries in Africa would return to their home countries and receive reassignments. Credit: Google Maps screenshot

Nonnative missionaries serving in the Micronesia Guam Mission — on islands other than Guam — will also return to their home countries, the Church also announced on March 18.

As of Tuesday, March 17, nonnative missionaries in the Philippines are also returning home due to a travel directive from the Philippines government.