The United Kingdom has added Nigeria to its Red List countries and will enforce stricter entry rules starting Monday, December 6 over concerns of an outbreak of the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus.
In a statement via his verified Twitter handle, the UK Secretary of State for Health, Sajid Javid, wrote that only residents and citizens of the UK and Ireland travelling from Nigeria would be allowed entry into the region adding that they will have to quarantine at their arrival.
He wrote, “In light of the most recent data we are taking further action to slow the incursion of the Omicron variant.
“From 4 am Monday, only UK/Irish citizens and residents travelling from Nigeria will be allowed entry and must isolate in a managed quarantine facility.”
On Wednesday, Nigeria confirmed its first cases of the Omicron variant, linked to travellers from South Africa and since then the country has not reported any new cases of the ‘variant of concern’.
Meanwhile, the health secretary stated that travellers from countries on the UK’s Red List would also be required to take a test before they arrive in the country.
“And from 4 am Tuesday, anyone travelling to the UK from countries not on the Red List will be required to take a pre-departure test, regardless of their vaccination status,” Javid added.