OMICRON: Canada lifts ban on Nigeria, South Africa, 8 others

Following the reactions from Omicron covid variant fear and the ban that ensued, Canada has lifted the ban on Nigeria, South Africa and 8 other African counties on its red-list.

More so, the information was announced on Friday by the countries Health Minister, Jean-Yves Duclos, who said that the ban will be lifted on December 18 at 11:59 p.m.

Mr Duclos also disclosed that Canada will re-introduce pre-arrival tests for all incoming travellers. The negative pre-arrival test will be required from December 21

Initially, the travel ban was placed on seven African countries but was later extended to ten, including Nigeria and was set to expire on January 31.

The government said the bans were originally put in place due to a high rate of travellers testing positive for coronavirus from those countries.

Recall that the travel ban was widely criticised by the  Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum which faulted the ban, describing it as “precipitate, unfair and discriminatory.”

The Buhari-led regime then banned citizens of Canada, the UK, Saudi Arabia and Argentina from entering the country in retaliation to the travel restriction placed on Nigeria and other African countries for fear of the Omicron variant.

In November, two travellers had tested positive for the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus. After that, the Ottawa public health body advised individuals that travelled to Nigeria, South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, and Namibia within 14 days before arriving in Ottawa to immediately self-isolate and seek COVID-19 testing at the province assessment centre.

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