Dr. Omede Ogu, the Officer-in-Charge, Port Health Services (PHS) of airports has assured that proactive measures are already in place at Nigeria’s main entry point, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, to prevent the new COVID-19 variant from slipping into the country.
Ogu stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
According to him, information on the new variant had been placed on the Port Health Services Emergency Platform, while other agencies at the airport had been informed about it.
“The ambulances are in good condition and our clinics around the tarmac are in the perfect shape to review any form of emergency, and facilities are inspected daily.
“Personnel are trained every week and this training is called Weekly Pretentious Infection Training. The purpose of this training is to keep our personnel abreast of steps to take when confronted with emergencies like this.
“Our personnel are on the ground and our structures are constantly reviewed, so we assure everyone that there is absolutely nothing to be worried about,” he said
Furthermore, Ogu said that the PHS collaborates with Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) across the country involving stakeholders who deliberate on different strategies and containment mechanisms for emergencies. He said that there were cameras at the tarmac that capture the body temperature of passengers when they alight from the plane.
“For every passenger arriving at the airport, the first point of call is the port health services, and they are screened to check for irregularities in body temperature. The instruments are categorised into three: the hand-held thermometer, a tripod tarmac scanner, and the distant tarmac camera” he said
According to him, the distant tarmac camera is the most effective because it captures everyone and all the health information, and port health officials see the result on the screen.
“We intend to get more cameras in the nearest future for more effective coverage and optimal reporting,” he added.
He urged Nigerians not to panic, noting that the new variant was still at the observatory level.
The United Kingdom detected its first case of the new COVID-19 variant, BA.2.86, on August 18, and said the strain had also been identified in Israel, Denmark, and the US.
“There is currently one confirmed case in the UK in an individual with no recent travel history, which suggests a degree of community transmission within the UK,” the UK Health Security Agency had said.
Nigeria and the UK record a high volume of travellers who shuttle between both countries regularly.
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