From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Fred Itua, Ndubuisi Orji, Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), yesterday, confirmed three additional cases of COVID-19 with the B.1.1.529 SARS-CoV-2 lineage, the Omicron variant.
The three cases were in addition to the three earlier announced on December 1. This brings the tally of confirmed Omicron cases in Nigeria to six.
NCDC, in a statement by its Director General, Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa, noted that all the Omicron cases, so far, were detected in persons with recent travel history to South Africa in November.
This came as the United Kingdom government said seven travelers from Nigeria had returned positive for Omicron.
NCDC boss confirmed that the UK has formally written to Nigeria on the matter in line with the global health practice.
“In line with Article 44 of the International Health Regulations 2005 (IHR) reporting framework, the Federal Government of Nigeria through the NCDC has been notified by the UK Government of seven cases of travellers from Nigeria with the Omicron variant.”
Dr. Adetifa, however, said that given the reports of increasing numbers of Omicron cases in the UK, the NCDC was also prioritising the sequencing of COVID-19 positive samples in travellers with history of travel to the UK.
“All viruses naturally mutate over time, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Since SARS-CoV-2 was first identified, several mutations have occurred with the emergence of new lineages.
“This will continue to happen as long as the world does not act in concert to significantly reduce transmission through vaccination and adherence to effective public health measures such as face mask use, physical distancing, hand hygiene, andensuring good ventilation.”
He maintained that compliance with the travel protocols provided by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 (PSC-COVID-19) is mandatory for all international travellers arriving in Nigeria from any country and advised incoming travellers to ensure their day two and day seven tests were done as stipulated in Nigeria’s travel advisory, otherwise, there would be consequences which may include publication of details, suspension of their passports and ban on travel to Nigeria.
•Govs Fumes
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has called on the World Health Organisation (WHO) to intervene by setting uniform standards that are acceptable to all for banning countries across the globe.
The call followed the travel ban placed on Nigeria by Canada and the United Kingdom.
The NGF described the inclusion of Nigeria among the Omicron present countries which must stay away from their shores as as precipitate, unfair and discriminatory.
Its chairman and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, in a statement he personally signed, drew the attention of WHO to what the governors called arbitrary stigmatisation that is caused by the recent banning of countries from visitation based on omicron spread.
According to the NGF, “Omicron still remains relatively unknown globally as it is not yet clear whether it is more transmissible from person to person compared to other variants including Delta.
“It is very discouraging to note that there are several countries that have reported cases of Omicron similar to or higher than Nigeria’s, that have not been banned from entry to the UK and/Canada.
“Confirmed Omicron cases as at December 3rd, across some countries are: Nigeria (3 ); Australia (7); Brazil (3); Germany (9) Israel(4); Italy (9) and Netherlands(16). There is also no evidence that harsh, blanket travel bans will protect the countries that impose them.
“It is ironical that this ban comes at a time when the DG of the WHO, Tedros Ghebreyesus, has advised that “rational proportional risk reduction measures” be taken by countries such as screening passengers prior to departure and/or upon arrival in a country, or enforcing a quarantine period.
“The NGF, therefore, urges the WHO to intervene in this matter by setting uniform standards that are acceptable to all for banning countries across the globe.
“As we know, vaccine hesitancy is quite high and for many reasons including disruptive announcements like this which could exacerbate distrust of the vaccine and heighten hesitancy.
“World leaders and stakeholders in the West need to remember that with the COVID-19 pandemic, until everyone is free, no one is free. Variants will continue to appear and spread across the globe as long as global herd immunity has not been achieved.
“We call on countries to be guided by science and fairness in setting the criteria for updating their red list. We encourage both public and private stakeholders to continue to support vaccination efforts and address hesitancy. We encourage Nigerians not to be discouraged and to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”
•Senate seeks ban reversal
Also reacting to the travel ban, the Senate advised the British government to be sensitive to the diplomatic relationship between both countries when taking a decision that affects Nigerians.
It urged the Federal Government to engage the British authorities to reverse Nigeria’s inclusion on the red list andcharged the administration to remain firm in the enforcement of necessary protocols in the containment of every COVID-19 variant in Nigeria.
It also called on major vaccines powers, namely, Britain, Canada, America and the European Union, among others, to take urgent and bold steps to ensure vaccine equity in the interest of the entire human race.
These were parts of resolutions reached by the chamber, following the consideration of a motion on the “Need for Government of the United Kingdom to remove Nigeria from COVID-19 Red List.”
The motion was sponsored by Ike Ekweremadu.
Coming under order 42 and 52 of the Senate Rules, he noted with satisfaction the efforts of the Nigerian government in the containment and treatment of COVID-19 cases.
“Nigeria is among the countries with the lowest cases of COVID-19. The decision by the British government to include Nigeria in their COVID-19 list, with its concomitant implications, will affect many citizens of Nigeria, who had planned to spend their Christmas and New Year holiday with their families.
“Also worried that Nigerians with genuine needs to visit the UK within this period will be denied visa and those with visa will not be allowed to enter the UK.”
The lawmaker noted that Nigerians have consistently complied with all the COVID-19 protocols required by the WHO and UK government for travelers prior to the ban.
He emphasised that “targeting African countries, especially in the COVID-19 travel ban, amounts to profiling and discrimination as well as an attack on our cordial diplomatic relationship with the UK.”
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said the decision to include Nigeria on the UK COVID-19 red list poses a strain on the diplomatic relationship between both countries. He bemoaned the poor treatment of Nigeria by the UK government.
Lawan, therefore, called on the British parliament to intervene with a view to having Nigeria removed from the country’s COVID-19 red list.
“Let there be justification for it. We are not saying that they cannot put any country on the red list, including Nigeria, but there must be reasons for doing that.
“Nigeria has done so well to the admiration of many countries in the area of containment of COVID-19. Therefore, we don’t see any reason why Nigeria will be on that so called red list.
“I believe that Nigerians deserve better treatment from the British government. I’m using this opportunity to ask the British Parliament to mount pressure on their government to remove Nigeria from the so called red list.”
Reps kick over UK travel ban
The House of Representatives also called on the UK to rescind the ban immediately and urged the Federal Government to interface with the UK authorities, immediately over the issue.
Elumelu, in a motion moved under matters of urgent public importance, on the “need to intervene in the issuance of visitors visa to Nigerians by the United Kingdom Government” explained that the ban affects those going to the UK for tourism, visiting friends and family, business trips, exchange programmes, as well as medical reasons.
Elumelu expressed worry that “rather than seek to work with its commonwealth ally on ways to combat and curtail the spread of this new variant, the UK government decided to out rightly ban Nigerian travelers from entering their country which is a sharp contrast to that of the United States government whose response is for travelers to produce evidence of negative test result at the point of departure as well as a day two test result after arrival in their country, a response that have received wide commendation across board.
“The UK government chose to announce the ban without discussing the data in its possession with the Nigerian government but instead gave an hour notice to the Nigeria authorities before its inclusion on the red list, contrary to known international convention. …Omicron variant has now been found in over 40 countries around the world including many from the European Union but only Nigeria and a few African countries have been banned by the UK government.”
The lawmaker, argued that if the government does not challenge the ban, thousands of Nigerians, who usually return home from the UK for Christmas festivities would not be able to come. He stated that would cost the country serious revenue loss. The House mandated its committees on health and foreign affairs to interface with the ministries of health, foreign affairs and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on how to resolve the issue.