Airlines To Be Fined $3,500 Per Passenger For Non-compliance To Coronavirus Protocols - FG

 

The Federal Government has warned that any airline that fails to comply with all the COVID-19 protocols would pay a fine of $3,500 per passenger,as international flights in Nigeria resume on August 29.

The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Sani Aliyu,disclosed this while speaking at the media briefing of the PTF in Abuja yesterday Monday,August 24.

He said;

"We will continue with the policy that airlines will only board passengers without the symptoms of COVID-19 and with negative PCR result. Airlines will be fined $3,500 per passenger if they fail to comply with pre-boarding arrangement.

On arrival in the country from August 29th,passports will no longer be retained by the Nigeria Immigration Service.

Rather, passengers will be allowed to proceed and exit the airport once they can show evidence of a negative COVID-19 PCR result and evidence for payment for a repeat PCR result in the country;and where possible,where we have been able to get the health questionnaires that have been submitted.

Passengers will be asked to proceed on self isolation at home for a period of 7 days.On the 7th day, they will proceed to their sample collection centre for a repeat PSR test and by day 8,they wil be allowed to rejoin the society.

"Based on scientific proof,the PTF has been advised to shorten the isolation from 14 days to 7 days provided passengers have a negative PCR result from day 7.Passengers will be monitored by public health officers throughout the period of isolation and those who develop symptoms will be treated.

In terms of ensuring compliance with COVID-19 protocol,we are currently working with the Nigeria Immigration Service to design a system that will allow us to  determine those that have not submitted themselves for a repeat COVID-19 PCR test from Day 7 onward.

These passengers may be sanctioned with the inclusion on a travel watch list or their electronic passport suspended for a period of time if they refuse to have a repeat PCR test."