Federal Government has suspended the passports of 100 in-bound airline passengers who failed to take a second test of COVID-19 after arriving in the country.
Chairman of Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha disclosed this at the national briefing on Tuesday, in Abuja.
Mustapha, also, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said that the names of the passengers would be published on January 1, 2021, while the suspension of the passports would last for six months.
The SGF lamented the difficulties experienced in the national response, noting;
With effect from Jan. 1, 2021, passports of the first 100 passengers, who failed to take their day-seven post-arrival polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, would be published in the national dailies. Our National Response is passing through a challenging phase due to the seriousness of the second wave of infections in Nigeria.
Week 52 has so far given us the highest number of infections in a single week to date. Our analysis shows that 16 out of every 100 tests carried out are positive.
He called on state governments and private organisations to start conducting rapid tests as the second wave of the COVID-19 was spreading fast.
Mustapha added;
You will recall that we moved from two laboratories to about ninety (Public & Private) located in all states of the Federation. Their inability to function optimally has resulted in unacceptable levels of delay in receiving results and pressure on the National Reference Labs.
We wish to urge all States to reopen all laboratories and ensure that testing is expanded and turnaround time for results is substantially reduced. In the same vein, states should please keep their Isolation/Treatment Centres open because of the rising cases of infection nationwide.
He further said;
The PTF has worked out additional quarantine protocols to be observed by travellers arriving from the UK and South Africa. This is in keeping with our determination to minimise any possibility of importation of the virus.
The new policy started from Monday, Dec.28, 2020 with key changes that include requirement from passengers for two additional documents: permit to travel/QR code obtained from the travel portal, after payment for the day seven post-arrival test; and COVID-19 PCR negative test with a validity now shortened to 96 hours or four days.
The PTF shall remain vigilant on this matter and our relevant agencies are also working on the sequencing to determine the (COVID-19) strain found.
