Nigeria is gearing up to resume international flights in and out of the country after shutting down its airport in March to curb the spread of Covid-19.
According to a statement released Monday by the Ministry of Aviation, flights will resume August 29 from Lagos, the west African nation’s commercial hub, and Abuja, its capital city. Travel within other cities will follow at a later date, the ministry said.
Nigeria currently has more than49,000 confirmed casesof the virus as of Monday, according to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control.
The country’s minister for aviation, Hadi Sirika, announced during a televised briefing on Monday that Nigeria’s international airports have reached advanced stages of preparedness to resume operations.
He did not disclose details of the methods put in place to ensure the safety of travelers, stating that procedures will be announced at a later time.
Nigeria closed its domestic and international airports March 23, leaving room for onlyevacuation flightsfor Nigerian citizens stranded in countries like the United States.
It also imposed a four-weeklockdown in three of its citiesand closed down social and religious gatherings as a way to slow down the spread of the virus.
However, the government lifted restrictions onsocial gatherings and religious institutionsin June amid increasing Covid-19 numbers, citing the temperature checks in public spaces and mandated use of face masks.
In July, it also opened up itsdomestic airportsfor flights within the country while enforcing safety protocols such as the use of masks, hand sanitizers and social distancing during travel.
