*The National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority, in the United Arab Emirates, announces resumption of passenger flights from Nigeria and 11 other African countries Saturday, January 29

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Following a fresh update on the Coronavirus pandemic, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has said it will resume passenger flights from Nigeria and 11 other African countries Saturday, January 29, 2022.

ConsumerConnect reports the UAE’s National Crisis and Emergency Management Authority (NCEMA) announced this development in a statement via a tweet Wednesday, January 26.

The tweet stated: “From January 29, entry into the UAE for arrivals from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, the Republic of South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zimbabwe is allowed again.”

The country’s agency said entry procedures have been updated for flights originating from Ghana, Rwanda and Uganda.

The UAE’s NCEMA said passengers arriving from these three countries to the UAE must have a negative COVID-19 test obtained within 48 hours of departure from the approved labs in their respective countries.

According to the regulatory agency, passengers must undergo a Rapid PCR test at the airports of departure.

It added that on arrival in the UAE, air travellers would be subjected to another PCR test.

The regulator, therefore, urged residents of these African countries to refrain from travelling to the UAE, if they have COVID-19 symptoms.

Recall that the UAE imposed the extant travel restrictions December 2021 after the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

Accordingly, Emirates Airline, its flag carrier, suspended flights to several African countries, including Nigeria.