Covid-19 presidential task force warns Nigerians against travelling to the UK and US and three other nations

NIGERIAN health officials have warned members of the public against travelling to the UK and four other countries as well as receiving visitors from there because of the high risk of contracting the Covid-19 virus.

Like most African countries, Nigeria has been spared the worst of the coronavirus pandemic but the country remains at risk from infection from travellers who arrive from high-risk nations. Dr Sani Aliyu, the national coordinator of Nigeria's Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19, said Nigerians should take precautions while travelling or planning to receive travellers from the US, UK, India, Russia and France.

Dr Aliyu said: “On the impact of what has been going on and incidence of new Covid-19 infections in the country, we are monitoring the situation in terms of testing closely. We will continue to urge all, the young, the old, and the vulnerable, to please be careful.

"Any mass gathering of any sort is an event amplifying the situation for Covid-19 as it is still very much around with us and we don’t want to get infected and carry the infection to our loved ones, especially those at home that might be vulnerable.”

Boss Mustapha, the secretary to the federal government and chairman of the PTF, added that demonstrators involved in the #EndSARS protests should also take precautions. He emphasises that non-compliance with the pharmaceutical protocols are risky adventures that must be avoided.

Mr Mustapha also noted that the global cases of Covid-19 rose by a record 400,000 cases on October 16 with 43% of all the cases occurring in Europe, especially in the UK and France. He, however, said Nigeria was on the path to winning the war against the virus.

“The top five countries in new cases reported in the last 24 hours are India (55,511), USA (44,941), France (29,837), UK (16,982) and Russia (15,099). It is important to take precaution when planning to travel or receive travellers from these countries.”

Speaking on the reopening of orientation camps by the National Youth Service Corps, Dr Aliyu disclosed that members, while in camp, would be limited to their platoons to observe social distancing. He added that the Kano, Enugu and Port Harcourt international airports would only be reopened if laboratories were available to test passengers arriving in the country.