COVID-19: Nigerian govt lifts flight ban on India

The Federal Government has lifted the ban on flights from India.

The Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, disclosed this in a new travel protocol released on Sunday.

He added that the new protocol took effect from September 14.

But the sanctions placed on airlines conveying passengers from countries on the restriction list and foreign passengers are still in place.

The federal government had earlier banned flights and passengers from Brazil, India, South Africa, and Turkey over the discovery of new strains of COVID-19 in the aforementioned countries.

Mustapha said: “Non-Nigerian passport holders and non-residents who visited Brazil, Turkey or South Africa within 14 days preceding travel to Nigeria, shall be denied entry into Nigeria. This regulation, however, does not apply to passengers who transited through these countries.

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“Airlines who fail to comply shall mandatorily pay a penalty of $3,500 defaulting passenger, and non-Nigerians will be denied entry and returned to the country of embarkation at a cost to the Airline; Nigerians and those with a permanent resident permit who visited Brazil, Turkey, and South Africa within 14 days preceding travel to Nigeria shall be made to undergo seven days of mandatory quarantine in a Government approved facility at the point-of-entry city and at a cost to the passenger.

“The following conditions shall apply to such passengers: Within 24 hours of arrival shall take a COVID-19 PCR test;

ii. If Positive, the passenger shall be admitted within a government-approved treatment centre, in line with national treatment protocols; and

iii. If Negative, the Passenger shall continue to remain in quarantine and made to undergo a repeat PCR test on Day-7 of their quarantine.

“False declaration: passenger(s) who provided false or misleading contact information will be liable to prosecution; and person(s) who willfully disregard or refuse to comply with directions of Port-Health staff, security agencies or evade quarantine shall be prosecuted in accordance with the law

“This protocol comes into effect from 14th September 2021.”

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