Coronavirus: Govt faces difficulties tracing Italian co-passengers

The Federal Government has vowed to deal with any foreign airline that violates coronavirus screening procedures for passengers arriving in the country.

The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, issued this warning in Abuja at the inter-ministerial meeting on coronavirus.

According to a source at the meeting, the minister expressly said airlines that failed to distribute contact tracing forms to their passengers upon arrival at any of the international airports in the country would be sanctioned.

Among other issues that was raised during the meeting was that there were indications that the government was facing obstacles in tracing some of the people, who had contacts with the first coronavirus index case.

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The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, while briefing journalists in Abuja, said some passengers, who were on the same Turkish Airlines flight with the first index case, an Italian businessman, gave telephone numbers that were not working.

Also, investigations by journalists showed that ministries and departments within the Federal Capital Territory on Monday ignored safety tips by failing to deploy hand sanitisers to prevent the spread of the disease.

The Federal Government had on Friday deployed more medical personnel to international airports across the country as part of efforts to step up screening of passengers.

A popular news medium on Monday has reported that isolation centres in the Federal Capital Territory, Kano, Ogun and Rivers states were not ready for use.

The Kano State Government on Sunday alleged that foreign airlines at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport refused to give screening forms to their passengers.

Another source at the inter-ministerial meeting said the aviation minister warned that everyone arriving from any part of the world into Nigeria should be screened irrespective of their social status.

According to the source, all airlines must give screening forms to their passengers, irrespective of the status of such passengers.

He quoted the minister as saying, “We will not allow them (airlines) do so (not to distribute screening forms) because we will not do that in their own country. Nigeria is taking this issue very seriously, especially civil aviation and those manning our airports.

“We will certainly deal with any airline that refuses to comply. We have the authority to do so. Also, all VIPs (very important persons) must be screened when they travel and return to the country.”