BREAKING: Nigerian Government Lifts Interstate Travel Ban, Plans To Reopen Schools For ‘Graduating Students’

BREAKING: Nigerian Government Lifts Interstate Travel Ban, Plans To Reopen Schools For ‘Graduating Students’
_
_

The Federal Government has approved what it called “safe reopening” of schools nationwide in the next phase of the gradual easing of lockdown ordered to curtail further spread of COVID-19.
.

However, only graduating students will resume.
.

The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, disclosed this at the daily briefing of the task force in Abuja on Monday.
.

He said the reopening of schools was meant to allow students in graduating classes to resume preparation for examinations.
.

He disclosed that the latest developments were contained in the task force’s fifth interim report which was submitted to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), earlier in the day.
.

Mustapha said, “I am pleased to inform you that Mr President has carefully considered the 5th Interim Report of the PTF and has accordingly approved that, with the exception of some modifications to be expatiated upon later, the Phase II of the eased lockdown be extended by another four weeks with effect from Tuesday, June 30, 2020 through Midnight of Monday, 27 July, 2020.
.
“Specifically, however, the following measures shall either remain in place or come into effect:
.
“Maintaining the current phase of the national response, for another four weeks in line with modifications to be expatiated by the National Coordinator;
.
“Permission of movement across state borders only outside curfew hours with effect from 1st July, 2020;
.
“Enforcement of laws around non-pharmaceutical interventions by States, in particular, the use of face masks in public places;
.
“Safe re-opening of schools to allow students in graduating classes resume in-person in preparation for examinations;
.
“Safe reopening of domestic aviation services as soon as practicable;
.
“Publication of revised guidelines around the three thematic areas of general movement, industry and labour; and community activities;
.
“Provision of technical support for states to mobilise additional resources for the response.”

NIGERIA, USA, AND OTHERS ABSENT FROM THE LIST OF COUNTRIES PERMITTED TO ENTER EUROPE FROM JULY 1.

Ahead of the planned reopening of its borders to international travellers on July 1, the European Union Commission has released a list of 54 countries that qualify for travels into Europe and Nigeria is conspicuously absent.
.
Schengenvisainfo.com reports that citizens from Nigeria, Brazil, Qatar, the US and Russia would not be allowed to travel into Europe until the epidemiological situation in their countries with regards to COVID-19 improves.
.
According to the report, the countries whose citizens have been granted permits into Europe as the union open its borders that were shut to curb the spread of COVID-19, include Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Australia, Bahamas, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canada.

Others listed are Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Palau, Paraguay, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Serbia, South Korea, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Lebanon and Mauritius.

Speaking on the development, Eric Manner, the EU Commission spokesman, said the union had the right to choose who would enter its borders. He added that it was based on health criteria.

“The European Union has an internal process to determine from which countries it would be safe to accept travellers” he said

The EU commission on June 11, presented its recommendation on the reopening of internal Schengen borders on June 15, so that Europeans could travel freely within the borderless areas just as they did before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Passengers on international flights may have to be at the airport five hours before their flight’s takeoff – Hadi Sirika

Ahead of the planned reopening of airports across the country, the Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika has stated that passengers on international flights may have to be at the airport five hours before their flight’s takeoff.

The Minister who said this during an inspection of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja and Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos on Saturday June 27, said they are putting the necessary equipment in place to help passengers adapt efficiently to the new normal and ensure that time is not wasted.

Sirika said “We will announce all the protocols again before opening. But you need to be at the airport three hours ahead of your flight. The experience is quite nice but it takes a bit of time which is why you will need to be at the airport three hours before your local flight. For an international flight, we may do five hours.”

On profitability of the aviation business upon the resumption, the Minister said; .
“Those new norms are coming and we will implement them in such a way that flights are profitable. The World Health Organisation and the International Civil Aviation Organisation have developed protocols of the sitting.”