COVID 19 Omicron : FG Set to Ban Flights From UK and Canada as the UK Responds

• The Federal Government is set to ban flights from the United Kingdom, Canada, and Saudi Arabia

• This is coming days after the three countries issued a travel ban on Nigeria amid fears of the COVID 19 Omicron variant

• Despite Nigeria’s threats of a retaliation ban, the British High Commission has disclosed that its ban on Nigeria will not be reversed

The United Kingdom has revealed that it will not budge on its decision to ban flights from Nigeria amid rising fears of the COVID 19 Omicron variant.

This is coming despite threats that Nigeria was set to issue a retaliation travel ban on the UK, Canada, and South Africa.

Nigeria’s  Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, disclosed this in a leaked audio where he stated that the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID 19 will issue the ban on Monday or Tuesday.

The federal government has repeatedly protested against the ban by the three countries after the outbreak of the of the COVID 19 Omicron variant.

In the leaked audio Sirika said that countries that issued a travel ban on Nigeria will face a similar fate, adding that this was the reason for the reduction in Emirates Airlines daily flights into Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the spokesman for the British High Commission, Dean Hurlock has confirmed that Nigeria will not be removed from the UK’s red list despite the threats.

According to the Punch, a part of his response can be seen below:

“The UK Government propose sticking to our standard background lines on whether ‘x’ country will put us on the red list and avoid getting into hypothetical situations.”

This further reinforced a statement made by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing.

Laing claimed that Omicron cases in the UK had clear links to travels from Nigeria and South Africa.

According to her, 19 out of 21 passengers with the Omicron variant had a travel history to Nigeria.

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