COVID-19 THREAT: Incoming travellers to provide vaccination evidence

The Federal Government yesterday announced that international travellers to Nigeria would now be required to show evidence of Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination.

It explained that the new directive followed a recent upsurge in COVID-19 cases in China, Japan, the United States (U.S.) and other countries.

The Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on covid-19 on December 12, 2022, relaxed safety measures.

The Director of Port Health Services, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Geofferry Okatubo, made this known while giving updates on COVID-19 and other health concerns in the country in Abuja.

He said: “As you are all aware that the Presidential Steering Committee announced the relaxation of the COVID-19 safety measures in Nigeria some few weeks ago. However, following the reported upsurge in COVID-19 in China, Japan, the U.S., and other countries, Port Health Services has continued to heighten surveillance at the point of entry and has resumed checks of passengers’ vaccination status, and we provide traffic data on inbound passengers from all over the world.

“International travellers arriving in Nigeria are now to provide their evidence of vaccination at the point of entry. Consequently, unvaccinated passengers arriving from other countries will have to be vaccinated at the airport.

“The Minister of Health recently approved that Port Health Services should meet with other stakeholders such as the NCDC, Ministry of Aviation, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and others, over the use of rapid diagnostic test kits for testing any suspected ill passenger at our point of entry.

“Port Health Services officers are still positioned at the seaport and offshore platforms to screen all crew and passengers coming into the country.”