Nigeria soft pedals, may not retaliate on UK, Canada travel ban

Nigeria had threatened to ban flights from the UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Argentina, after the aforementioned countries included Nigeria on a COVID-19 travel ban list.

However, Africa's most populous nation may be having a rethink and could explore all diplomatic channels before embarking on a doctrine of reciprocity.

Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 Chairman, Boss Mustapha says: “While each country is entitled to put in place measures to protect its citizens, Nigeria has similar responsibilities.

"However, based on existing relationships, Nigeria has initiated diplomatic steps to make these countries reverse their course. This is ongoing in the interest of all parties concerned and we expect that positive results would emerge within the next one week.”

The Omicron variant of COVID-19, which has necessitated the travel restrictions from developed economies, spreads faster than other variants of COVID-19, even though it is milder.

Meanwhile, the UK government in a related development said it's initiating plans to scrap its travel red list this week, says a report published on Daily Mail.

The report quoted Grant Shapps, UK transport secretary, as convincing the government that the red list should be replaced with testing for the fully vaccinated.

According to the newspaper, the move is expected to be approved this week.

It noted that at last Wednesday’s COVID briefing, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, had promised to re-examine the policy amid claims it was unfair and ineffective.

UK records first death from Omicron variant

Unfortunately, one person has died in the United Kingdom after contracting the Omicron Coronavirus (COVID-19) variant, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday, the first publicly confirmed death globally from the swiftly spreading strain.

Since the first Omicron cases were detected on Nov. 27 in the United Kingdom, Johnson has imposed tougher restrictions and on Sunday cautioned that the variant could overcome the immune defences of those inoculated with two shots of vaccines.

Britain gave no details on the death or whether the patient had been vaccinated or had underlying health issues.

Deaths from Omicron may have occurred in other countries but none has been publicly confirmed yet outside Britain.

“Sadly at least one patient has now been confirmed to have died with Omicron,” Johnson told reporters at a vaccination centre in London.

The variant now accounted for around 40 per cent of infections in the capital, he said.