The Federal Government on Monday, 12th December, 2022, has approved the immediate relaxation of the COVID-19 safety measures and travel advisory, including the suspension of all pre-departure, pre-boarding, and post-arrival PCR test requirements.

This was contained in a statement released by Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, and Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee, PSC, on COVID-19.

SGF, Boss Mustapha

According to the SGF, President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval of the immediate relaxation of the COVID-19 safety measures and travel advisory follows the recommendations of the PSC based on clinical and laboratory evidence of a sustained reduction in COVID-19 infection/transmission across the country.

The statement read;
“All pre-departure and post-arrival PCR test requirements for all persons who are not fully vaccinated have been suspended.

With the suspension of both the pre-boarding and post-arrival PCR tests, passengers will no longer be required to upload evidence of vaccination on the Nigeria International Travel Portal NITP. All unvaccinated and partially vaccinated passengers are strongly encouraged to get fully vaccinated.

Health Declaration Form. A simplified Health Declaration (non-covid-19 specific) shall be completed by all passengers arriving in Nigeria on the Nigeria International Travel Portal (NITP); while provision will be made on arrival for those who were unable to complete this form before departure.

PSC appeals to Nigerians to ensure that they take their COVID-19 vaccinations as well as booster doses.

Nigeria is 18.5 million eligible persons away from reaching the 70 per cent target population expected to be fully vaccinated by 31-Dec-2022”.

Statistics from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control NCDC, recorded 266,283 COVID-19 infections with 3,155 deaths.

The data also shows that as of 9th December, 2022, 59,867,077 of the total eligible persons have been fully vaccinated while 12,403,486 of the total eligible persons are partially vaccinated as National Primary Health Care Development Agency NPHCDA says 35 percent of eligible persons in Nigeria are yet to receive a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Story: Elizabeth Ereke

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