Red Listed For Travel Due To Omicron Variant, Nigeria Will Ban Flights From These Four Countries

Illustration of an airport in Nigeria. (Wikimedia Commons/Minette Lontsie)

JAKARTA - Nigeria plans to ban flights from Argentina, Britain, Canada, and Saudi Arabia starting this week, in retaliation for being added to those countries' red lists for detection of the Omicron Coronavirus variant last month, the aviation minister said.

Several countries have restricted the movement of people from several African countries since the Omicron variant was first detected in southern Africa and Hong Kong. It has since spread to at least 57 countries.

In comments recorded and shared with reporters on Sunday, Nigerian Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, said he had recommended the four countries should be placed on the COVID-19 "red list", which would require a flight ban.

"We have given our input as airlines that it is unacceptable to us. And we recommend that those countries, Canada, UK, Saudi Arabia, and Argentina also be put on the red list, as they did to us", he quoted him as saying from Reuters on December 12.

"So, I am very sure that between now and Monday or maybe Tuesday at the maximum, all these countries will be on the red list. Once they are on the red list, it means they are banned, the airlines will also be banned", he explained.

To note, the UK was the first country to announce a travel "red list", which Nigeria has described as unfair and unfair.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) said countries should adopt an informed and risk-based approach when deciding on travel measures related to Omicron, including the possibility of screening or quarantining international passengers, adding a comprehensive ban did not prevent its spread.