Headlines
UK Recognises Nigeria’s COVID-19 Vaccine Certificate Effective Oct 11
The United Kingdom (UK) has relaxed its COVID-19 vaccine policy for Nigeria — accepting vaccine certificates from fully vaccinated travellers.
In an updated statement on its website on Thursday, the UK government added Nigeria to the list of countries with approved vaccines.
It stated that fully vaccinated travellers from Nigeria will be able to enter England from Monday, October 11, 2021, without the need to provide a pre-departure test or undertake a day 8 test or self-isolate for ten days.
Before now, fully vaccinated travellers from Nigeria still need to need to self-isolate for ten days.
The UK government added that those fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca (Including Covidshield), Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen (Johnson and Johnson will still need to pay for a day 2 test.
“From Monday, October 11, 2021, fully vaccinated travellers from Nigeria will be able to enter England without the need to provide a pre-departure test or undertake a day 8 test or self-isolate for 10 days, although we still need to book and pay for a day 2 test. This policy applies to those fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca (including Covidshield), Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen (Johnson and Johnson),” the statement reads.
“If you arrive in England before that date, you must follow the rules for people who are not fully vaccinated. If you arrive after that, you can use a vaccine certificate to prove your vaccination status.
“Fully vaccinated means that you have had a complete course of an approved vaccine at least 14 days before you arrive in England. The day you had your final dose does not count as one of the 14 days.
“You must be able to prove that you have been fully vaccinated under a vaccination programme and have a valid proof of vaccination recognised by the British Government (for Nigeria, the certificates with valid QR codes as issued by Nigeria’s National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) are recognised).”
Ben Llewellyn-Jones, acting British high commissioner, said, “the exemption of fully-vaccinated Nigerians travelling to the UK from providing a pre-departure test and self-isolating for 10 days, is a very welcome development. To make this happen, we have been working closely with NPHCDA on recognising Nigeria’s vaccine certification, which we have now done.
“The UK remains committed to opening up international travel and enabling those who wish to enter the UK to do so safely.
“Vaccines work and — as the pandemic has shown — no one is safe until we are all safe. I would encourage all eligible people to get vaccinated.”
The statement further stated that those not fully vaccinated must comply with COVID-19 directives by taking a pre-departure COVID-19 test – to be taken in the 3 days before travel.
The traveller must also book and pay for day 2 and day 8 COVID-19 tests – to be taken after arriving in England and complete a passenger locator form — any time in the 48 hours before arrival.
On arrival, the UK authority said the traveller would need to quarantine for 10 days and take a pre-booked COVID-19 test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8.
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
