The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to notify local and international airlines of a proposed 21-day no-fly restriction for 46 people identified as contacts of a suspected or confirmed Ebola case.
Keyamo disclosed this in a statement following a virtual meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, during which they discussed measures to contain the Ebola outbreak.
According to the minister, the list comprises 44 people who came into contact with the affected individual at a hospital after the person developed symptoms, as well as two domestic staff members.
He said efforts were underway to isolate the identified contacts pending confirmation that they had not contracted the virus.
Keyamo explained that the aviation authorities were expected to prevent the individuals from travelling by air for at least 21 days, the period he described as necessary for monitoring the possible emergence of symptoms.
“I have therefore directed the NCAA to immediately inform all local and international airlines of this development,” he said.
The minister also instructed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to strengthen Ebola surveillance and response measures at all international airports across the country.
He listed the measures being implemented by FAAN to include enhanced health screening, temperature checks, monitoring of travellers’ histories, digital health declarations and closer coordination among relevant agencies.
Keyamo said these measures had been introduced following earlier regional outbreak alerts, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) involved in the response.
The directives form part of efforts to strengthen health surveillance at Nigeria’s entry points and reduce the risk of further transmission through air travel.
