The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has given out a new protocol for all passengers originating from the United Kingdom and South Africa effective from December 28 as the country prepares for a second wave of the pandemic.
The NCAA Director General, Mr Musa Nuhu, issued the protocol in a letter to all Nigerian operators and foreign operators flying into Nigeria with a reference NCC/DG/AIR/11/16/286 on Sunday in Abuja.
According to Nuhu, the move affected all airlines with passengers originating from the United Kingdom and South Africa regardless of transit arrangements.
He said the Federal Government, through the Presidential Task Force, had reviewed quarantine protocol due to the recent spike in cases of COVID-19 in Nigeria and reported a highly transmissible new variant of virus in the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Also Read: Nigerian Government Advised To Shut Out UK Immediately
Nuhu said passengers would be received and processed separately by the Public Health Authority on arrival in Nigeria.
The NCAA boss further said that all passengers would be required to self-isolate for seven days after arrival followed by a COVID-19 PCR test.
He stated that a dedicated register of arriving passengers from the United Kingdom and South Africa would be opened for enhanced surveillance and active enforcement of the protocols.
Nuhu said the punitive measure would be taken against who would fail to comply with the content of the letter.
According to him, any airlines fail to comply will be fined three thousand five hundred dollars ($3,500).