Coronavirus: FG may ban UAE flights over new COVID-19 test requirement, says NCAA

- The NCAA has said that the FG may ban UAE flights into the country

- Musa Nuhu, the director-general of NCAA, made this known on Monday, February 1, at PTF briefing in Abuja

- Nuhu stated that travellers are to do a rapid test at the airports in Lagos and Abuja

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The federal government has said that the new pre-boarding COVID test requirement placed on the travellers by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Netherlands may lead to the suspension of flights to those countries.

TheCable reports that under the new requirement, travellers are to do a rapid test at the airports in Lagos and Abuja four hours to their outbound flights.

Legit.ng gathered that the director-general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Musa Nuhu, complained about the “extra requirement” at the briefing by the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 on Monday, February 1.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the federal government classified Kogi as a high-risk state for COVID-19 because of its failure to acknowledge the existence of the disease, report tests or build isolation centres.

It was reported the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, announced the classification on Monday, February 1, and warned Nigerians to beware of visiting the state.

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state has consistently dismissed the existence of COVID-19 in Nigeria sparking outrage among health professionals and many Nigerians.

Officials of the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) had last year sent to ascertain the COVID-19 status of Kogi left the state after Governor Bello insisted they would be isolated and subjected to a COVID-19 test.

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The officials of the NCDC had in a meeting with Governor Bello said they were sent to Kogi to assist the state in responding to the challenges posed by the pandemic.

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Governor Bello said the state has resolved to comply with the protocols of the NCDC by putting the officials in quarantine for 14 days and take their samples to ensure they are COVID-19 free.

Recently, the secretariat of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) warned Governor Bello that COVID-19 is real and must be adequately tackled.

Source: Legit.ng