The Federal Government has placed a ban on travel by public servants to countries highly affected by COVID-19 pandemic disease.

Mr Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), announced this on Tuesday after a closed door meeting with the Presidential Task Force Committee on COVID-19 in Abuja.

The countries are China, Iran, South Korea, Germany, Italy, USA, UK, Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, Spain, France and Japan.

Mustapha said the committee after its meeting concluded that all officials in the Ministries, Department and Agencies, including parastatals to stop all forms of travels out of the country for whatever reasons.

“At the conclusion of the inaugural meeting of the Presidential Task Force on the control of COVID-19, the committee has reached some decisions.

“We have decided to advice that all officials in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies including parastatals, that government has ban all forms of travels out of the country for whatever reasons.

“Whether for meetings, bi-lateral, multi- lateral, conferences, seminars, workshops and any form of other ceremonies.

“And this ban will remain in place until further notice and until the situation of pandemic nature of the COVID-19 stops.

“By this notice, any prior approval to travel abroad on official assignment during this period is accordingly resisted,” he said.

According to him, the committee has decided to urge that the Federal Government should scale up the nation’s health emergency system to the highest level and put in measures to curb further spread of the disease.

The committee headed by the SGF also advised the citizens strongly in their own interest to cancel or postpone all non-essential travel abroad including business and vacation trips.

“This is especially so, especially when it comes to the countries known to be seriously affected by the COVID-19.

“Secondly, we urge anyone returning to Nigeria from any country to strictly self isolate for 14 days.

“And that all people returning from countries with high community transmission rate, especially countries that have recorded a thousand cumulative cases and above would be actively isolated for 14 days by the health authorities,” he said.

The nation’s chief scribe said that the Nigerian government was also in support of measures taken by the government of other countries, particularly high burden countries who have urged their citizens to stay home and avoid non-essential travels. (NAN)