By Muhammad Alao
As part of the measure to cut the rise of the new Omicron Variant, South Korea has slammed restriction on Nigeria.
South Korea confirmed Wednesday that five cases of Omicron were connected to people traveling from Nigeria last week.
With the restriction, Nigeria joins eight other South African countries banned due to scares of the the new Omicron variant.
The Union Nigeria reached out to the South Korean Embassy in Abuja, Thursday via telephone, and got confirmation of the restriction of Nigerian travelers.
The Associated Press had reported that two of the cases involving the new variant are linked to women who went to Nigeria and flew back to South Korea on November 23.
The three remaining cases are connected to a couple who traveled from Nigeria to South Korea on November 24, and their friend who picked them up from an airport and drove them home.
The couple was fully vaccinated, but the friend who picked them up and their teenage child were not vaccinated, said Choi Seung-ho, an official with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
Health care workers said they’re running a genetic sequencing test on the teenager and the relatives of the friend who drove the couple home to see if anyone has been infected with the new variant.
So far the four individuals have not experienced any severe symptoms. They’re reported mild respiratory symptoms and muscle pain, said Park Young-joon, another KDCA official.
With the arrival of the new Omicron variant, South Korea announced new travel restrictions to go into effect for at least two weeks for all passengers. Everyone arriving from out of the country, regardless of their vaccination or citizenship status, must quarantine for at least 10 days.
Recall that according to a Detailed Travel Advisory Published December 1st 2021, passengers arriving from or who have been in Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe in the past 14 days are not allowed to enter and transit.
Due to the arrival of the new Omicron variant, South Korea had earlier announced new travel restrictions to go into effect for at least two weeks for all passengers.
Everyone arriving from out of the country, regardless of their vaccination or citizenship status, must quarantine for at least 10 days.
Officials say the same rules will now be extended to foreigners coming from Nigeria.
