FG Plans to Suspend Travellers for Six Months if They Failed to Comply

Ahead of international flight resumption, the Federal Government has warned that passengers who failed to comply with the COVID-19 protocol put in place to curb the spread of the virus will be suspended from travelling for six months.

This was disclosed by Sani Aliyu, the National Coordinator, PTF, during a briefing of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 (PTF) in Abuja on Monday.

It would be recalled that in March, the country’s airlines and airports were shut down to curb the spread of coronavirus disease which as of Monday 31, August has killed over 1,000 people in Nigeria.

In July, the federal government reopened Domestic flights in the country, adding that the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja, would start operation on August 29 which was later shifted to Sept. 5.

Aliyu said there would be penalties for airlines and passengers who fail to comply with the guidelines.

Aliyu said, “There will definitely be sanctions if they do not comply. Sanctions to the airlines if they allow passengers without a Covid-19 PCR result to board, they will be sanctioned on arrival in Nigeria. That is the airline. For passengers that decline to do the test, at Day 7, we will still allow them after Day 14 to have a test done after which their details will be forwarded to Port Health, Immigration, and part of the security services.

“It is very likely we will put in place measures to enforce this by suspending travel up to six months or deny foreign travels altogether.

“But beyond the sanctions, because as responsible citizens, we all want our country to continue to be Covid-19-free once we get on top of the pandemic, so, we expect the vast number of travellers to continue to comply with these simple, straightforward measures we are putting in place for the benefit of our country and for the health of our citizens.”

Aliyu added that airlines that failed to comply with the Covid-19 protocol for the resumption of international flights would pay a fine of $3,500 per passenger.