Cross River State has insisted that 35 American expatriates working with the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC) get tested for Coronavirus before they are allowed entry into the State.
BusinessDay’s checks show that when the Americans arrived Calabar, the Cross River State Government refused them entry into the state, insisting they must go for COVID-19 test in Nigeria.
BusinessDay reported that a chartered flight from the US landed at the Lagos International Airport on Monday with 35 persons on board.
After screening by officials of the Port Health services, the Americans departed on an Air Peace chartered flight to Calabar.
This flight is part of the special flights granted permission by the Federal Government to land during the suspension of all commercial and private jets movements in the country due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
The letter seeking permission to embark on the flight and land at any of the Nigerian major airports was sent to the Ministry of Aviation for approval and communicated in a letter to the various Aviation agencies to ensure seamless facilitation of the flight.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) had ban international flights but confirmed essential flights would still operate.
The essential flights include aircraft in state of emergency, over flights, operations related to humanitarian aid, medical and relief flights, alternate aerodrome identified in the flight plan, technical stop where passengers do not disembark, cargo flights and other safety related operations.
