Mary Onyia
Britain records another 42,848 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Saturday, with 127 more deaths. With over 145,000 COVID-19 deaths in the pandemic, making Britain one country with the second-highest virus death toll in Europe after Russia.
In the light of this recent happenings, Uk has blamed the current surge of coronavirus cases in the country on Nigerians and has stopped processing applications from visitors from Nigeria. According to the UK, travelers from Nigeria have contributed 15% of its omicron cases as of Dec. 5.
Britain’s government tightened has also tightened travel testing rules mandating all travelers arriving in England to take a COVID-19 test before they board their flight.
In a statement announcing the suspension, the UK said prospective travelers can still apply for visas but they will not hear back from the immigrations unit on the status of their application, nor will they be refunded if they have provided biometric details during the application process.
The UK issues visitor visas for such needs as visiting friends and family, tourism, business meetings, studies for less than 6 months, and for private medical treatment. But except for British and Irish citizens.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the new rules will apply from 4 a.m. London time Tuesday.
“In light of the most recent data, we are taking further action to slow the incursion of the omicron variant,” he said in a tweet.
Javid also added Nigeria to the U.K.’s travel “red list,” which means that arrivals from there will be banned except for U.K. and Irish residents, and those travellers must isolate in designated quarantine facilities. He said there was a “significant number” of omicron cases linked to travel with Nigeria, with 27 cases recorded in England.
Karen Dee, the chief executive of the Airport Operators Association, said the new measures will be a “major deterrent” to travel, just as airports and the travel industry were hoping for a small uplift over the festive season.
“This is a devastating blow for aviation and tourism,” she said
This is a most devastating blow especially for Nigerians wishing to travel to the UK to be with their loved ones this festive season. Most Nigerians see the ban , even though temporary as ‘punitive’ describing it as discriminatory, given the fact that only African countries are on the UK’s red list.
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