Nigeria has suspended evacuation of its nationals abroad until a new policy on mandatory supervised isolation of persons arriving the country is complete.
It is the second time a halt to the evacuation is being announced in a week.
Last week, foreign affairs minister Geoffrey Onyeama announced the halt, citing a need for testing protocols and isolation centres.
The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, said prior arrangements of evacuation of Nigerians from outside to the country is suspended until the new policy being developed with the private sector comes into place.
“Mandatory supervised isolation of persons arriving outside the country will continue to be for 14 days until a new policy comes into place,” he said at the joint briefing of the taskforce on Monday in Abuja.
“There will be no further evacuation of Nigerians until the new policy that is currently being developed with the private sector comes into place. Any prior arrangements of evacuation of Nigerians from outside of the country is suspended until the new policy comes into place.
“Mandatory supervised isolation of persons arriving outside the country will continue to be for 14 days until a new policy comes into place. There will be no further evacuation of Nigerians until the new policy that is currently being developed with the private sector comes into place.
“Any prior arrangements of evacuation of Nigerians from outside of the country is suspended until the k o new policy comes into place. All these measures will need to include compliance on non-pharmaceutical interventions,” Aliyu said.
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He said that the goal of phase two of the ease of lockdown, over the next four weeks is to balance public safety with protecting likelihoods, as well as allowing full restoration of economic activities across the country.
