From tomorrow, Monday, all Nigerian airports, including the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja and Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos, will remain closed to all incoming international flights, except emergency and essential ones.
This was contained in a letter to all airline operators by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) which was made public yesterday.
LEADERSHIP Sunday also learnt that the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) is also planning to suspend all passenger services in the country effective from tomorrow, Monday, March 23, 2020.
Bashir Ahmad, personal assistant on New Media to President Muhammadu Buhari, gave the hint on Saturday through his Twitter handle.
The suspension of railway service, just like flight operations, is not unconnected to the spread of the novel COVID-19 which increased from 12 to 22 cases in the country on Saturday.
The closure of airports to international flights, which would last till April 23, 2020, is sequel to the restriction of entry for travellers from 13 countries and restrictions of international flights into only Lagos and Abuja.
Government had yesterday announced that the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja and Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos would remain open to international flights.
But barely 24 hours after, the federal government has upturned that decision and has joined both airports in the closure to international traffic apart from emergency and essential flights.
In the letter signed by its director-general, Capt Musa Nuhu, NCAA stated that the closure of international flight operations at the Lagos and Abuja airports were in addition to the three other international airports in Kano, Enugu and Port Harcourt that were also closed to all International flights on Saturday.
This total closure is coming just as the Federal Ministry of Health has announced 10 new cases of the COVID-19 virus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 12 in the country.
In the letter addressed to all operators, with Ref: NCAA/DG/AIR/11/16/106, dated March 21, 2020, the regulatory agency warned all airline operators to be guided accordingly.
The letter entitled, “Update On Clarification On Flight Restriction Into Nigeria Due To COVID-19 Pandemic” noted: “Further to our earlier letter on restriction of international flights into Nigeria, we wish to inform you that effective Monday, March 23, at 2300Z to April 23, at 2300Z, Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos (DNMM) and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja (DNAA) will be closed to all International flights.
“This is in addition to the closure of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano (DNKN), Akanu lbiam International Airport, Enugu (DNEN) and Port-Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa (DNPO) effective Saturday, March 21, at 2300Z.
“Henceforth, all airports in Nigeria are closed to all incoming international flights with the exception of emergency and essential flights.Domestic flights will continue normal operations at all airports.
“All airlines are required to submit passenger manifest to Port Health Authorities prior to arrival of flights into Nigeria”.
22 Cases Confirmed Nationwide
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) has confirmed 10 new cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Nigeria, including three new cases in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and seven new cases in Lagos State.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Nigeria to 22.
All 10 new cases are Nigerian nationals, with nine of them having travel history to Canada, France, Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The nine persons returned to the country in the past one week, while the 10th case is a close contact of a previously confirmed case.
The three cases in the FCT are being treated at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH), Gwagwalada, while the seven new cases in Lagos are being treated at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Yaba.
All 10 new cases have mild to moderate symptoms and are currently receiving treatment.
As at yesterday, 22 cases have been confirmed, two cases have been discharged and there has been no death from COVID-19 in Nigeria.
In a statement issued yesterday and signed by the minister of health, Dr. E. Osagie Ehanire, the ministry said, “The Federal Government of Nigeria remains committed to working with states to provide optimal care for all confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country.
“Contact tracing is ongoing to identify all persons who have been in contact with the new confirmed cases. The Port Health Services of the Federal Ministry of Health has heightened screening at all air, land and sea points of entry into Nigeria and adapted the protocols to reflect the travel guidance issued by the Presidential Task Force on the Control of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
“The National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) led by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) supported by partners continues to coordinate response activities and strengthen preparedness capacity across states nationwide. An intensive national risk communications campaign is ongoing to inform Nigerians about COVID-19.
“The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) working closely with states and the Presidential Task Force on the Control of Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to review response activities and institute measures to protect the health of Nigerians.
“It is important that Nigerians strictly adhere to social distancing and other necessary precautions in place.The Federal Ministry of Health through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control will maintain a real-time update on new cases through the website: covid19.ncdc.gov.ng. We will continue to provide updates as and when they become available. The Federal Ministry of Health reiterates its commitment to ensure the control of the COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria.”
NRC Offers Conditional Service To Passengers
In view of the earlier decision to suspend all passenger train services, the board and management of Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) have reviewed the situation and decided to provide passengers train services with conditions.
In a statement issued yesterday by the deputy director, Public Affairs, Yakub Mahmood, NRC said passengers are from tomorrow expected to provide full names, address, date of birth and means of identity before they would be allowed to enter any passenger train.
He enjoined passengers to cooperate with any other measures put in place to protect people from the spread of coronavirus.
Based on this development, passenger train service from Lagos to Kano, Abuja to Kaduna as well as Iddo to Ijoko/Kajola mass transit train services would commence.
Suspected Case Tests Negative In Ondo
A patient in Ondo State, who was suspected to have contracted COVID19, has tested negative to the virus, the state commissioner for health, Dr Wahab Adegbenro has said.
Adegbenro, however, disclosed that the state was still maintaining a coronavirus free status.
The commissioner in a statement by his press officer, Abooluwa Famakinwa, said the result of the blood sample of the suspect that was sent for coronavirus screening came out negative yesterday evening.
NMGS Postpones Conference/Exhibition
As part of measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS) has announced the postponement of its 56th annual conference and exhibition scheduled to hold in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, from today to Friday, March 27, 2020.
The postponement which is till further notice was made public in a statement signed by the president of NMGS, Engr Obadiah Simon Nkom.
The statement said the postponement was necessitated by the directives from the federal health authorities on the need to limit social interactions among crowds exceeding 50 till further notice as a result of the pandemic in the country.
No Coronavirus Case At FIRS – Nami
The executive chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr Muhammad Nami, has said that there is no coronavirus case in the agency.
According to him, there was fake news making the rounds on social media that a member of staff at the FIRS had tested positive to COVID-19.
A statement issued by the director, Communications and Liaison Department, Abdullahi Ismaila Ahmad, the Service stated unequivocally that no member of staff at the FIRS has tested positive to COVID-19 as being peddled on social media.
He said, “The Service can confirm that a member of staff who went to pick his wife from the airport following her return from a trip abroad is currently and voluntarily observing the federal government’s advisory of self-isolation alongside his spouse at the couple’s home since Monday.
“Both husband and wife have not visited any FIRS offices or events since the wife returned to Nigeria last Sunday.More importantly, both husband and wife have only been in self-isolation for five days and have not tested positive to COVID-19.
“Before now, all FIRS offices had taken necessary precautions to protect both staff and our esteemed taxpayers from COVID-19 through such safety measures as social distancing, temperature testing, disabling of the biometric sign in, and provision of hand sanitisers for staff and visitors to our offices nationwide as advised by the Federal Ministry of Health.Members of the public are therefore advised to discountenance the claim that an FIRS official has tested positive to COVID-19.”
More States Close Schools, Public Centres
The Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, has ordered the immediate closure of all primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the state.
He also announced plans to establish a specialist hospital for coronavirus, and subsequent health concerns in the future.
The governor made the disclosure when he addressed Imo people via a state wide broadcast on measures to prevent and control the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Governor Uzodinma announced the provision of a state- of – the – art ambulance equipped with necessary medical gadgets for quick analysis and test for the virus which would be on 24 hours standby to respond to any emergency anywhere in the state.
Also, Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri, has ordered the immediate closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools and the restriction of all gatherings at religious worship centres, night clubs and public gatherings that are above 50 persons in the state.
According to him, the private and public schools were to proceed on vacation with effect from Thursday, March 26, 2020, and the suspension of public gathering of persons above 50 would take effect from Monday, March 23, 2020.
The governor, who made this known yesterday in a statewide broadcast monitored on radio stations in the state, declared that despite the fact that over 200,000 confirmed cases and over 8,000 deaths had been recorded globally with a dozen and more confirmed cases in Lagos and a few other states, there has not been any recorded case of COVID-19 in the state.
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