Nigeria revises international travel protocol over new COVID-19 variant

The Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 has reviewed the country’s international travel protocol following the discovery of a new variant of the virus, Omicron.

The PSC Chairman, Boss Mustapha, who confirmed the development in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said the revised protocol was aimed at further reducing the risk of spreading COVID-19, especially the variant of concern.

He assured Nigerians that the committee would continue to monitor global and specific country situations with a view to taking necessary measures to safeguard the health of the citizens.

Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, urged Nigerians to take the full dose of COVID-19 vaccines and observe public health measures.

READ ALSO: WHO names new Covid-19 Variant ‘Omicron’

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Wednesday confirmed the first case of the Omicron variant in the country.

The new variant has sparked global concerns since its discovery in South Africa.

Omicron was first detected in Europe in Belgium on November 27.

Several countries including Australia, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom and the United States had confirmed cases.

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