Nigerian travel agents have called for the intervention of the federal government, World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nation over UK’s new protocol on COVID-19, which indicated that travellers from some countries, including Nigeria who has been vaccinated must be quarantined on arrival to the United Kingdom.
The European nation announced that from 4;00 am on Monday, October 4, it would consider vaccinated travellers coming from Nigeria, South America, UAE, India, Turkey, Jordan, Thailand, Russia and other African countries ‘unvaccinated’.
Reacting to the new policy, the National President of National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Susan Akporiaye, said the policy is discriminatory even though it is not targeted at only Nigerians and urged the United Nations and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to call the UK to order.
“The decision is not the best because we got the vaccine from them. I don’t understand why they are rejecting the vaccine but these vaccines were approved by the WHO and all vaccines approved by WHO are acceptable. So if it is good that UK took the vaccine, why is it bad that we also took the same vaccine?
“But this does not concern Nigeria alone as many other countries are involved. Even UK citizens who took the vaccine in Nigeria and other countries will have to quarantine when they get back to their country. So it is not targeted against Nigeria.
“I am sure they will rescind the decision soon because as far as WHO approved the vaccine, nobody should reject it. Those who advised the country were wrong but that decision will change very soon. We should not worry about it because they are not targeting Nigeria. I think WHO and the United Nations should call them to order. What they are doing is wrong, discriminating against drugs that have been approved by WHO,” Akporiaye said.
Former NANTA President and Executive Director of Finchglow Group, Bankole Bernard also told THISDAY that UK must explain to the world that the vaccination sent to Africa was substandard and therefore could not be relied on.
“We need our Minister to intervene as he did in the issue of UAE. Discrimination is unacceptable and pure exploitation,” he said.
Travel expert and organiser of Akwaaba African Travel Market, Ambassador Ikechi Uko advised that the federal government should step in and to this issue because UK is a major destination for Nigerians.
“First, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Presidential committee on COVID-19 should comment on the issue because we don’t know the efficacy of the vaccine. They should be in the best position to decide on what to do,” he said.
The new policy was part of the changes to UK’s international travel protocol posted on its official website which stated that if a person is fully vaccinated for at least 14 days under an approved program in the UK, Europe, US or any of the ‘recognised’ countries, the individual would not have to quarantine for 10 days and would only be required to carry out COVID-19 test on day two after arriving in the UK.
The recognised countries are UK, Europe, US, Australia, Antigua, Barbuda, Barbados, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Dominica, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea or Taiwan. Any traveler coming from any other country not on the recognised list would be considered ‘unvaccinated’ whether or not the person has been fully vaccinated and would be required to quarantine for 10 days and take COVID-19 tests on day two and eight after arriving the UK.
According to the website, “From 4am, Monday, October 4, 2021, the rules for international travel to England will change from the red, amber, green traffic light system to a single red list of countries and simplified travel measures for arrivals from the rest of the world. The rules for travel form countries and terrorists not on red list will depend on your vaccination status.
“From 4am, Monday, October 4, if you have been fully vaccinated for at least 14 days under an approved program in the UK, Europe, US or UK vaccine programme overseas with a full course of the Oxford/AstraZeneca, Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna or Janssen vaccines form a relevant public health body in Australia, Antigua, Barbuda, Barbados, Bahrain, Brunei, Canada, Dominica, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea or Taiwan, under a formally approved COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial in the US, Canada and Australia and have proof of participation (digital or paper based) from a public health body, you must book and pay for a day two COVID-19 test to be taken after arrival in England.
“You do not need to take a pre-departure test, take a day eight covid-19 test, quarantine at home or in the place you are staying for 10 days after you arrive in England. You must be able to prove that you have been fully vaccinated with a document from a public health body.
“If you are fully vaccinated but do not qualify under these fully vaccinated rules, you must follow the unvaccinated rules by taking a pre-departure covid-19 test three days before you travel to England, book and pay for a day two and day eight COVID-19 test to be taken after arrival in England. On arrival in England, you must quarantine at home or in the place you are staying for 10 days.”
It is understood that some of the affected countries like Brazil, Rwanda, Turkey, India and South Africa are not happy with this decision and have said the UK is yet to explain why people who are vaccinated in the ‘unrecognised’ countries will be considered ‘unvaccinated’ especially as the UK government is one of the main contributors of most of the vaccines to the African continent through the COVAX initiative.
