COVID-19 Omicron: UK govt puts Nigeria on red list, bans foreign travellers

:
The UK Government has added Nigeria to the
number of countries on its red list and banned
foreign travels from the country.
This is due to the discovery of COVID-19 Omicron
cases linked to Nigeria.
The decision was contained in a press release sent
to oniftv on Saturday.
The new protocol indicates that non-UK and non-
Irish citizens who are travelling in from Nigeria will
not be allowed entry into the UK.
The temporary ban on Nigeria is expected to take
effect from 4am on Monday, December 6.
The statement signed by Ndidiamaka Eze, Press &
Public Affairs Officer at the British High
Commission in Nigeria, residents arriving from
Nigeria must isolate in a Government-approved
managed quarantine facility for 10 days, and
receive two negative PCR tests, as further
precautionary action is taken against the Omicron
variant.
She said, “Currently, the majority of cases in the UK
have clear links to overseas travel from South
Africa and Nigeria, and over the past week 21
reported Omicron cases in England originating from
Nigeria.”
It added that “these are temporary measures that
have been introduced to prevent further Omicron
cases from entering the UK, and will be examined
at the three-week review point on 20 December,” it
read in part.
Although the ban is described as temporary, the UK
said the new protocol does not apply to persons
“staying airside and only transiting through”.
British and Irish citizens, or those with residence
rights, arriving in England from countries on the red
list have been advised to book a managed
quarantine hotel in advance.
“The quarantine package will include a managed
quarantine hotel, quarantine transport and a travel
test package for COVID-19 tests on day 2 and day
8 of quarantine,” the statement added.
Speaking on his Country’s decision to place Nigeria
on the red list, British High Commissioner to
Nigeria, Catriona Laing said, “I know that this
decision will have a significant impact on people in
both our countries, particularly at this time of year.
This decision is a precautionary measure to protect
public health in the UK, whilst we try to understand
this new variant.
“We continue to work very closely with the Nigerian
authorities in tackling the pandemic and commend
their ongoing work.”