There are indications that more inbound passengers are testing positive to COVID-19, an analysis of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control’s weekly situation report has shown. The report obtained from the NCDC website on Sunday indicated that positivity rate among inbound travellers had increased by 74.6 per cent.
It was also gathered that 48 out of the 94 test centres for inbound persons of interest had not sent in reports of persons tested for three weeks.According to the NCDC, in its latest situation report, a total of 17 inbound passengers tested positive between November 15 and November 21.
It however added that between November 22 and November 28, a total of 67 passengers tested positive signifying a 74.6 per cent increase.
The Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 had made preparations for the testing of inbound passengers of interest. Recently, the PSC had accused some passengers of continually shunning testing.
Also, the NCDC maintained on its website that only three people had so far tested positive for the new Omicron COVID-19 strain despite the fact that at least 23 travellers from Nigeria tested positive in the United Kingdom and Canada.
The development came just as Canada stated that it would no longer accept any PCR test that was conducted in Nigeria. The development comes just days after Canada barred persons from Nigeria from visiting the country.
An inquiry sent to the NCDC on Sunday had not yet been responded to as of press time.
A travel advisory on its website read in part, “Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and people with status under the Indian Act who have been in these countries—Botswana, Egypt, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe—in the 14 days before travel to Canada will be required to: Obtain, within 72 hours of departure, a valid negative COVID-19 molecular test in a third country before continuing their journey to Canada.”