BREAKING: COVID-19: PTF To Revoke Passports, Visas Of Passengers Without In-country PCR Test

…Says COVID-19 may surge because of #EndSARS protest

The Presidential Task Force on Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, on Tuesday, threatened to revoke the passports and visas of passengers who failed to present themselves for the in-country Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test which they signed up to and paid before arrival.

BIGPEN recalls the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had in September made it mandatory for passengers wishing to travel to Nigeria to conduct a COVID-19 PCR test at least 96 hours before entering Nigeria.

“It is mandatory for intending travellers to carry-out a COVID-19 PCR test at least within five days (120 hours) before travel to Nigeria,” NCDC had said in a terse statement posted on its twitter handle, adding that the travellers also update the result to the NITP as soon as it is received.

The PTF had also in September said that while defaulting Nigerians will get six- month passport suspension, foreigners face outright visa cancellation. This, was after Nigeria lifted travel bans as part of the global lockdown measures to contain the spread of the pandemic in March 2020.

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The Presidential Task Force had stressed that it was mandatory that travellers have the PCR test done on day 7th upon arrival.

However, during Tuesday’s media briefing by the Task Force, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and chairman of PTF, Boss Mustapha, disclosed that only one out of three Nigerians who arrive have complied with PCR’s testing.

He said that it is alarming that many Nigerians who arrived from abroad had refused to present themselves for the in-country Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test which they signed up to and paid before arrival.

Mustapha, said that the presidential task force, has resolved to revoke passports of travellers that fail to conduct the mandatory COVID-19 PCR test.

According to the SGF, “The PTF is highlighting these issues repeatedly because we remain at risk of importation, having opened our airspace and massive spread as a result of the protests. The next week or two remain critical. The PTF has noted with sadness the failure of Nigerians who arrived from abroad to present themselves for the in-country PCR test which they signed up to and paid before arrival. Statistics emerging from our records show that only one out of three passengers have shown up for the in-country test.

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Nigeria resumed International flights on the 5th of September after Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA,) gave an update that the maximum number of passengers of each incoming international flight must not exceed 200 passengers.

Both the NCDC and PTF had also said all returning travelers to Nigeria must have tested negative for COVID-19 through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing in the country of departure. The PCR test must now be administered no more than 120 hours before departure.

“As you may recall, the PTF announced the guidelines on the reopening of the airspace and the obligations of arriving passengers. The PTF similarly announced sanctions as a consequence of any infraction. Having observed serious non-compliance to the level of 65 percent, the need has arisen to activate the sanctions which includes the suspension of the passports of such defaulting individuals for a period of six months minimum. The National Coordinator will elaborate further on this.”

Mustapha said as part of the strategy of the PTF to deepen community engagement, he addressed an emergency session of the National Executive Committee of the National Council of Traditional Rulers Tuesday.

Continuing, he said: “The contributions of our traditional rulers to the successes so far recorded in the National Response can not be overemphasized. Accordingly, I acknowledged and thanked all our traditional rulers for their support and urged them to continue to do more especially in the areas of risk communication and community engagement. Adherence to the Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions measures and the need for people to come out for testing were emphasized.

“Finally, I wish to inform you that the PTF has revised its meeting and briefing frequency to once a week, to allow members carry out other functions and activities. This does not preclude the need to call for emergency meetings and briefings when the need arises. With effect from Thursday, 5th November, 2020 therefore, the national briefing will only hold once, weekly.”