The Federal Government has placed 46 identified contacts of an Ebola-affected patient on a 21-day no-fly list to contain the spread of the viral disease within the country.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, issued the directive after an emergency virtual meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.
The restricted individuals include 44 persons who interacted with the female index case at an Abuja hospital after she developed symptoms, alongside two members of her domestic staff. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has been ordered to notify all domestic and international airlines of the travel restriction, which aligns with the standard 21-day incubation period for the Ebola Virus Disease.
“Whilst efforts are ongoing to isolate them for now until there is certainty they had not been infected with the virus, the Aviation authorities are required to put them on a no-fly list for at least 21 days,” Keyamo stated.
To further prevent cross-border transmission, the minister instructed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to heighten Ebola response protocols across all international entry points. These upgraded measures include enhanced health screenings, mandatory temperature checks, travel history tracking, and digital health declarations.
FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, announced that the agency is maintaining vigilance across its airport operations. He also stated that the authority is currently coordinating with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and Port Health Services to safeguard passengers and airport personnel.
The Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness has assured Nigerians of the capacity of the government to manage the outbreak. Speaking at the State House on Wednesday, the Task Force Chairman and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, explained that the early detection of the asymptomatic passenger four days after her arrival in Abuja shows the effectiveness of the established screening protocols.
“The Task Force is on top of it. NCDC is on top of it; everyone is on deck. We must build community trust and avoid panic, but it’s also important to state clearly that this is a collaborative effort between the government and the people”, Gbajabiamila noted.
Professor Pate confirmed that state and federal health authorities have activated their respective incident management systems to execute diligent contact tracing. He urged citizens to respect public health directives, cooperate with health officials, and refrain from spreading unverified information that could trigger unnecessary panic.
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