The Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 has reviewed the country’s international travel protocol in the wake of the emergence of a new coronavirus variant known as “Omicron.”
Mr Boss Mustapha, Chairman of the PSC, stated this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
According to Mustapha, the revised protocol is intended to reduce the risk of COVID-19 importation and exportation, particularly the variant of concern.
He assured Nigerians that it would continue to monitor global and specific country situations in order to take the necessary precautions to protect Nigerians’ health.
Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), urged Nigerians to get the full dose of COVID-19 vaccines and to continue to follow public health measures.
According to NAN, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed the first case of the Omicron variant in the country on Wednesday.
Following its discovery in South Africa, the new variant has sparked global concern due to fears that it will spread faster and be resistant to vaccines.
On November 27, Omicron was discovered for the first time in Europe in Belgium. Other European countries with confirmed cases include Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. On November 28, Australia reported cases as well.
On November 27, the European Union imposed a travel ban on seven Southern African countries.
Other countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, are taking similar steps. Late Saturday, Israel went a step further, imposing a two-week travel ban on all non-residents.
Similarly, the Canadian government has stated that it discovered two cases of the variant from two Nigerian passengers.