Aviation Transport

Canada lifts travel ban on Nigeria, nine other African countries

Canada announced Friday the lifting of a ban on foreign travellers from Nigeria and nine other African countries.

The country also reimposed testing, warning that the Omicron variant of Covid-19 risks quickly overwhelming hospitals.

Apart from Nigeria, the travel restriction on flights is also lifted on South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Malawi and Egypt.

Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos was quoted as announcing this at a news conference on Friday.

He said the lifting of the travel ban would take effect from 11:59 pm on Saturday.

The restriction had been announced last month “to slow the arrival of Omicron in Canada and buy us some time,” he said.

“But with Omicron now spreading within Canada it is no longer needed,” he added.

Pre-arrival negative PCR tests for all travelers would also be reinstated as of December 21, Duclos said, while repeating a government warning earlier this week that “now is not the time to travel.”

Officials said laboratory tests have confirmed as of Friday nearly 350 cases of the Omicron variant across Canada.

The total average daily Covid case count, meanwhile, has jumped by 45 percent in the past week to about 5,000.

“It is expected the sheer number of (Omicron) cases could inundate the health system in a very short period of time,” said Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam.

Related posts

Lagos-Ibadan Expressway: FRSC partners police, military to end robberies on Long Bridge

By Abisola THOMPSON

Air Peace Stops Passenger with Suspected Coronavirus from Boarding at MMA2

Our Reporter

COVID-19: FG to begin secondary screening of travellers from high risk countries

Aliyu DANLADI 

Ethiopian Airline resumes flight to Enugu Oct. 1

Meletus EZE

Power show of shame at Arik Air

Editor

Nigerian airlines, others record low cargo demand

Editor