FG Extends Travel Restriction To South Africa, As Covid-19 Cases Increase

The Federal Government has announced restriction for travellers from South Africa, due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the country.

The Federal Government through the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, in the month of May, had placed a ban on travellers from India, Brazil and Turkey within 14 days preceding travel to Nigeria.

However, the Chairman of the steering committee, Boss Mustapha on Monday added South Africa to the list of countries under watch.

According to him, “PSC has been reviewing these restrictions and is of the opinion that they should remain for another four weeks before it is further reviewed. South Africa, has however, been added to this category once more.

“The PSC has shifted its focus on some African countries. South Africa, Zambia, Rwanda, Namibia and Uganda fall in this category.”

He explained that South Africa for example, recorded over 100, 000 cases in the last one week while 20,000 was recorded in the last 24 hours.

According to him, the four major variants of concern are now classified as Alpha (UK), Beta (SA); Gamma (Brazil) and Delta (India).

He noted that the Delta variant which has wrecked devastating havoc, is not yet found in Nigeria hence the need to tighten the borders and be more vigilant.

​Speaking further, the Chairman said that the sources and access to vaccines has constituted major challenges given the developments in India, the attendant scarcity and the rise of vaccines nationalism.

​”For over six months Federal Government employees on GL 12 and below have been observing work-from-home instructions. This restriction remains in place until further notice in order to avert a third wave,”he said.

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire in his remark
disclosed that reports from the 69 treatment facilities that provide covid-19 services, indicate that as at monday, only 4.55 percent of beds in isolation wards were occupied adding that no patients on admission is using oxygen presently.

He stressed on the need for health personnel at Isolation and Treatment Centres and other frontline workers to study global events, including interventions of countries experiencing COVID-19 surge.

“The observations will inform review meetings of stakeholders, to increase shared knowledge and strengthen clinicians’ discretion.

“We are strengthening surveillance at the points of entry to check importation, particularly of virulent Covid strains and be able to identify and get them under control.

“We continue to train specialists in Intensive Care, to be familiar with new ventilators, with which we are stocked.

“Nigeria recorded just 2 new covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, giving us a total of 167,467 confirmed cases as at today, out of 2,266,591 samples tested, with a test positivity rate of 1.2 percent,” he said.