COVID-19: No Restrictions On Travels – FG Insists

The Nigerian government has disclosed that the country will not impose travel restrictions on countries with rising cases of the deadly Coronavirus.

The Minister of State for Health, Olorunnibe Mamora, stated that government had rather decided to screen visitors from the eight countries.

Mamora acknowledged that the country is still at a high risk like other countries but “will continue to monitor returning travellers that fit our case definition and improve our surveillance, detection and risk communications.”

He said, “We have carried out a review of our case definition. We have added three new countries to the existing list of five high-risk countries with widespread community transmission. These are France, Germany and Spain. Therefore, eight countries are on our priority list – China, Japan, Iran, Italy, Republic of Korea, France and Germany.

“Travellers from these eight countries will undertake secondary screening at the point of entry. They are also advised to self-isolate for 14 days on entry.”

Mamora further stated that between January 7 and March 15, 48 people, who had contact with the Italian that imported the virus into Nigeria, were screened for in Edo, Lagos, Ogun, Yobe, Rivers, Kano, Enugu states and the Federal Capital Territory.

He added that forty-seven of them have tested negative and have been cleared. “One was positive (after having contact with the index case) and one result is pending. There has been no death.”

“The index case is clinically stable and has improved greatly.” He said.