The National Coordinator, PTF, Dr Sani Aliyu, provided further insight on protocols ahead of the resumption of international flights at its daily briefing in Abuja.
“Intending travellers to Nigeria must have tested negative for COVID-19 Polymerase chain reaction, PCR, test, before being allowed entry into the country.
“We are narrowing the period of validity for the PCR test from the current 14 days to 7 days from Aug. 29.
“Preferably, PCR test must be done as close as possible from 48 to 72 hours from departure but we still accept results that are valid within 7 days prior to boarding,” he stated.
He said that Nigerians were aware that the PTF had asked the aviation authorities to prepare for the reopening of international flights from Aug. 29.
“This is dependent on ensuring that all COVID-19 protocols that have been approved by the Presidential Task Force on the back of the resumption are adhered to”.
“For the moment, all travelers coming into the country will abide by the quarantine protocols that we currently have,” he outlined.
The Coordinator said that Nigeria would continue with the process of requesting for a negative PCR result for all passengers boarding to travel to Nigeria.
He said that the test must be PCR test and the country would not accept non-certified results.
Dr. Aliyu noted that airlines would be fined $3,500 per passenger for airlifting passengers without negative COVID-19 test results.
On the concerns over cases of passengers coming into the country with a negative COVID-19 test result and testing positive in Nigeria, he said that PTF was studying the situation and would make a decision when the need arose.
“As mentioned by the chairman of the PTF, we’re concerned about the quality of some of the results we are getting and the discrepancies, when passengers are tested in country.
“For this reason, the protocol that has just been approved by the PTF will be reviewed after four weeks and we would be looking at the level of discrepancies between the negative and the positive results.
“We are working with various embassies and we insist that passengers use these laboratories for the test,” Aliyu said. (NAN)