NCAA issues fresh warning to airlines over Corona virus

• Asks carriers to issue health declaration forms to passengers

Following the difficulty in tracing all passengers who came in contact with an Italian diagnosed with first index case of Corona virus in Nigeria, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) today ordered all airlines operating International and regional flights into Nigeria to issue Health Declaration Forms to their passengers including crew members before arriving Nigerian airports.

The Lagos State Government had said it was yet to trace the 158 passengers aboard  the Turkish airliner that flew in the Italian who is Nigeria’s index case of the virus.

It restated that while some  of the passengers had travelled to other states in Nigeria, others had  gone back to Europe.

He  added that  some of the passengers who were contacted on the telephone, gave “false information.”

The NCAA’s warning is coming on the heels of failure of some airlines operating International and Regional flights into Nigeria to provide Health Declaration Forms (Passengers self-reporting forms).

A letter to this effect had been issued to all airlines and other stakeholders.

Spokesman for NCAA, Sam Adurogboye in a statement yesterday said in view of the above, airlines are to remind passengers to provide factual address and phone numbers to enhance contact tracing in case there is need to do so.

The Health Declaration forms (Passenger self-reporting forms) will be collected and evaluated by the personnel of Port Health Services on the arrival of the passengers and crew members alike.

Airlines are to collect the Health Declaration forms (Passenger self-reporting forms) from the Port Health Services at the various International Airports of the country.

The aviation regulatory body warned that failure to comply with the directive by any airline would attract severe sanctions

Wole Shadare