Individuals who Flout COVID-19 protocols of airports will be placed on a travel ban, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has revealed.
This is part of a set of new guidelines issued by the PTF ahead of the resumption of international flights in the country.
Dr Sani Aliyu, the PTF national coordinator who made this known also said that airlines who flout protocols will be fined $3,500.
“Nigerian Immigration Service could suspend their passports or put them on travel watch list,” Aliyu said of individuals who flout protocol.
He continued, “We will be continuing with the process of requesting for a negative PCR result from all passengers boarding to travel to Nigeria. This COVID-19 test must be PCR test. We will not accept any other result. We are concerned about the quality of some of the results and the discrepancy we are getting when passengers are subsequently tested in the country.
“For this reason, the protocol that has just been approved will be reviewed after four weeks and we will also be looking at the level of discrepancy between negative and positive results, with a view to developing a list of accredited laboratories for countries that we frequently receive travellers from.”
“We are narrowing the period of validity for the PCR test from the current 14 days to seven days, from 29th of August. Preferably, the PCR test should be done as close as possible to the point of departure for Nigeria, preferably within 48 to 72 hours, but we will still accept results that are valid for seven days.”