Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has directed the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to place 46 people who came in contact with an Ebola patient on a no-fly list for at least 21 days.
Gatekeepers News reports that Keyamo disclosed this on Wednesday after a virtual meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, to discuss measures to contain the outbreak.
According to the minister, the list comprises 44 people who came in contact with the infected woman at a hospital after she developed symptoms, as well as two members of her domestic staff.
He said the health authorities were working to isolate the individuals while determining whether they had contracted the virus.
Keyamo said he had directed the NCAA to notify all domestic and international airlines of the restriction immediately.
He also directed the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to strengthen Ebola surveillance and response measures at all international airports across the country.
The measures include enhanced health screening, temperature checks, travel history tracking, digital health declarations and coordination with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
The directive follows the Federal Government’s confirmation of an Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory on October 20.
The patient, a woman who recently travelled to Nigeria from Uganda, is receiving treatment in isolation at a private hospital in Abuja.
Health authorities have commenced contact tracing and identified people who may have been exposed to the virus.
The 21-day restriction corresponds with the maximum incubation period for Ebola, during which symptoms may develop following exposure to the virus.
The government is continuing surveillance and containment efforts to prevent further transmission.
