*Affected failed to carry out mandatory tests upon return
*This is second time such measures slammed on returnees, says PTF
By Daniel Tyokua
The Presidential Task Force (PTF), on COVID-19 has slammed six months ban on 100 Nigerian passengers billed to travel out of the country.
PTF disclosed this on its official Twitter page in the wee hours of Tuesday.
The post explained that the 100 travellers failed to undergo the mandatory COVID-19 test upon returning to the country.
Recall that this is the second time passport details of travellers violating compulsory COVID-19 protocols will be published.
According to the PTF, the affected passengers will be restricted from travelling out of the country till after six months.
It said: “The Presidential Task Force (PTF) sanctions 100 Passports in Second Batch of those who failed to comply with the mandatory Day 7 post-arrival COVID-19 Test.”
The PTF had in January released details of 100 travellers who at the time were said to have violated the protocols put in place to limit spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Chairman of the PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, at the briefing said “the passports will be suspended to serve as a deterrent to others”. Passengers arriving into the country are required to proceed on self-isolation and carry out mandatory COVID-19 test, seven days after their arrival.
But some passengers have reportedly failed to observe the compulsory isolation or present themselves for the PCR repeat test on day seven.
With new COVID-19 variants ravaging some countries, the PTF has become more strict with measures to prevent the variants being brought into the country.
However, as at Monday night, Nigeria has recorded over 140,000 cases of the infection and 1,673 deaths, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
