Rising COVID-19 Cases Force UAE to Tighten Protocol against Nigeria, Others

Chinedu Eze

High COVID-19 cases and distrust about Nigeria’s documentation process prompted the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to include travellers from the country, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia to more stringent protocol to ensure that persons with the virus do not enter the Arab nation.

This is coming as major US airlines are cancelling flights to some destinations in order to check the spread of Omicron variant of the Coronavirus pandemic.

In order to allow the airlines to prepare for the new COVID-19 protocol, UAE announced that the new process would take effect from December 27, 2021.

Reports indicate that the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) and the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) announced the suspension of all inbound flights for national and international carriers and transit passengers from the four countries from Saturday, December 25, effective 7.30a.m.

Part of the new COVID-19 protocol introduced by the UAE includes suspending the entry of travellers who were in the four countries 14 days before coming to the UAE, while flight operations would continue to transport passengers from the UAE to the same countries.

The UAE nationals, their first degree relatives, diplomatic missions, official delegations between UAE and these countries and Golden residence holders are excluded from this decision.

The authorities stated that the excluded categories should present a negative COVID-19 test obtained within 48 hours of departure and a Rapid-PCR test at the airport within six hours of departure whenever possible and another PCR test at the airport upon arrival to UAE.

A 10-day quarantine and a PCR test on the ninth day of entering the country are required for UAE nationals, their first-degree relatives, diplomatic missions and golden residence holders.

GCAA also stated that it is required for those coming from the four countries through other countries to stay in latter countries for at least 14 days before being allowed to enter the UAE.

UAE citizens are also barred from travelling to the four African countries except for the country’s emergency treatment cases, official delegations, and scholarships.

In addition, the two authorities have introduced new travel requirements for those coming on direct flights from Uganda and Ghana.

These include having a negative COVID-19 test obtained within 48 hours and a Rapid-PCR test at the airport within six hours of the departure.

Reacting to the new UAE COVID-19 protocol, the former President of National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) and the Managing Director and CEO of Finchglow Group, Bankole Bernard, told THISDAY that Nigeria might have been included in the list because it does not have reliable documentation process on COVID-19 cases among travellers, adding that UAE had to adopt the new stringent protocol because there is high record of COVID-19 cases in the Middle East nation.

He also noted that it could not be said that there is no political undertone in including Nigeria among nations in Africa with the strict COVID-19 protocol.

“One of the things we need to understand is this, COVID-19 has become a political and economic tool, which countries use to push for their interests in the comity of nations, especially in air travel. If you have noticed the spread of this Omicron, it is very fast. It is not killing but it is affecting many people and there are a lot of fake results coming out of our country. They cannot rely on our data. We don’t know how to keep records,” he said.

Also speaking on the issue, the current President of NANTA, Mrs. Susan Akporiaye, said that the inclusion of Nigeria to the nations their travellers would face new stringent protocol might not be unconnected with the travel impasse between the two countries, which has been settled.

She said that the purpose of the stringent measures is to ensure that travellers with the virus do not enter the UAE.

“I believe this is strictly to stop travellers with the virus to come to their country. This is why they want to give the airlines time to prepare to adopt the new restriction, which involves more stringent restrictions. Nigeria has already lifted ban on Emirates. They will tell us when they will start flying. So UAE just introduced more stringent COVID-19 protocol,” she said.

Meanwhile, CNN has reported that some US airlines cancelled some of their flights because of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 and these include United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Jetblue and others.

CNN quoted a memo it obtained to have stated, “The nationwide spike in Omicron cases this week has had a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation.”

United is reported to have canceled more than 160 flights, representing nine per cent of its total schedule and Delta was said to have cancelled 120 Christmas Eve flights due to multiple issues, including the Omicron variant.