Travel News

BY Joanna Tan

KEY POINTS

• Hong Kong reported Saturday that the number of new daily cases jumped to 43 — up from 26 a day earlier.
• Many of the cases were local infections. The city has so far recorded more than 5,500 cases and 108 deaths, according to the government’s website.
• Travel authorities from both sides have always said the deal would be suspended if the Covid-19 situation in either city deteriorates.

Singapore Airlines crew members at Changi International Airport in Singapore on Oct. 24, 2020. Roslan Rahman | AFP | Getty Images

SINGAPORE — Singapore and Hong Kong have postponed their air travel bubble agreement for two weeks.

The announcement came hours after Singapore said the agreement, which was set to take effect on Sunday, would go ahead as planned despite a rise in new coronavirus cases in Hong Kong.

“This is to safeguard public health in both cities as well as travellers’ own health,” Singapore’s aviation authority said in a media release.

Hong Kong’s secretary for commerce and economic development, Edward Yau, said the delay “is necessary to avoid any inconvenience caused by the abrupt changes of the scheme to passengers.”

The situation will be reviewed and a new launch date will be provided in December.

Hong Kong reported Saturday that the number of new daily cases jumped to 43 — up from 26 a day earlier. Many of the cases were local infections. The city has so far recorded more than 5,500 cases and 108 deaths, according to the government’s website.

Travel authorities from both sides have always said the deal would be suspended if the Covid-19 situation in either city deteriorates.

The Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble agreement was initially due to start on Nov. 22 with a single flight daily into each city, limited to a maximum of 200 passengers per flight.

Under the arrangement — the first for both destinations since the pandemic — the number of flights will increase only if the spread of Covid-19 in both cities remains under control.

Why is tourism picking up so slowly in Southeast Asia?

Earlier Saturday, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore announced that all arriving passengers from Hong Kong would be required to take an additional Covid-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test upon arrival. They would also need to self-isolate in their place of residence — be it a hotel or home — as they wait for the results which will take about six to eight hours, the aviation authority said.

To be clear, all passengers from Hong Kong under the air travel bubble agreement would have already been required to take a pre-departure Covid-19 PCR test and obtain a negative test result before departing for Singapore.

The initial air travel bubble agreement announced on Nov. 11 did not require any isolation of passengers from Hong Kong upon arrival.

Hong Kong’s ‘new wave’

Hong Kong imposed new restrictions on Saturday as the city saw a resurgence in the number of cases this past week. Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan said Friday the situation was “severe.”

“We have probably entered into a new wave of cases,” she said at a press briefing on Friday, citing experts from the Centre for Health Protection.

The government met late Friday to finalize other contingency measures aimed at stemming the spread of the virus, and will not rule out more stringent restrictions, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said in a Facebook post.

New restrictions include the banning of clubs and party rooms, as well as prohibiting live performances and dancing in bars and pubs. The government announced earlier this week that primary schools will be suspended for two weeks from Monday.

Much-anticipated deal

The agreement was highly anticipated and hailed as a “milestone” by the Singapore government, as the two cities sought to revive the aviation sector. Both Asian financial hubs were badly hit by the crisis as they have no domestic demand for flights.

According to travel operator Klook, other countries were closely watching the success of the deal.

Eric Gnock Fah, the chief operating officer of the bookings platform, told CNBC last week that tourism authorities across Asia were watching to see if the Hong Kong-Singapore travel bubble succeeded, amid hopes of eventually making their own plans for such arrangements.

Klook: ‘Really excited’ about Hong Kong-Singapore air travel bubble

“Many of the other tourism boards around Asia have been very active coming to us to discuss about the plans that they have put in place,” he told CNBC before the Hong Kong-Singapore travel bubble was suspended.

Searches for the two destinations surged more than eight times when the announcement was initially made, he said.

— CNBC’s Karen Gilchrist contributed to this report.

BY  Sarah Marshall

They pride themselves on being a reliable source of information for British nationals, providing a tool to navigate the complexities of overseas rules and regulations. At a time when borders are opening and closing with little warning, their expertise should be even more vital – keeping travellers safe and helping damaged international tourism markets to heal.

Yet on multiple occasions during this pandemic, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) have got it wrong – especially when it comes to the African continent.

Both Zambia and the island nation of Sao Tome and Principe have been past victims of misinformation regarding quarantine restrictions and visa applications.

The latest inaccuracy involves Zimbabwe, where the FCDO claims a 14-day period of isolation is required for every visitor. That’s simply not the case, confirmed by a British passport holder who’s currently travelling in the country and described the whole entry process as “stress-free”, requiring only a negative PCR certificate and several medical forms. Despite the error being flagged up to the FCDO by Telegraph Travel on Wednesday, its advice has still not been amended. 

For an industry already on its knees, errors of this sort – especially when published by an official body – can be extremely damaging. Understandably, many Zimbabwean hoteliers and travel agents are outraged and disappointed.

“The misperception of a prolonged quarantine requirement can only discourage travellers to come to Africa,” says Beks Ndlovu, founder of African Bush Camps, who have properties across Zimbabwe and are launching World Safari Day on November 25 to celebrate the (re)rise of the beleaguered industry. 

“Domestic tourism has been the main vein to help continue our operations and support wildlife conservation and community upliftment. But companies are operating on their reserves. Less international tourism means less support for our conservation programmes.”

Chris Mears, CEO of the African Travel and Tourism Association, is equally concerned.

“It is vitally important that clear and accurate information is communicated by the FCDO as this is a source of information that the British public rely on. The Zimbabwean economy is heavily reliant on tourism income and this has been decimated in recent months and there is no way that a visitor would contemplate travelling if they had to self-isolate at their destination.”

He confirms the FCDO and the British Embassy were provided with the correct details regarding entry requirements. So why does the government body frequently get it wrong? 

According to the FCDO, their advice is based on information gathered from embassies, local authorities and occasionally “intelligence services”.

Judging by the number of inaccuracies that have slipped through their net, however, Africa doesn’t seem to be a top priority right now. 

Such disregard appears to be consistent with our government’s refusal to grant air corridors to countries in the continent where the required metrics seem to match up. In many cases, efficient airport testing systems have been operating for months, while Grant Shapps continues to fumble around with his snail-paced Global Travel Taskforce.

“It simply makes no sense,” says Mears, who urges travellers to support ATTA’s #OpenAfricanTravel campaign by signing a petition.

“Africa has seen less than 4% of the global Covid cases and based on the number of cumulative cases per 100,000 head of population over a 14-day period the numbers from, for example, Kenya, South Africa and Botswana are substantially lower than those out of Chile, UAE and Bahrain, where air corridors were implemented last week.”

Paul Goldstein, a professional photographer and co-owner of the Kicheche safari camps in Kenya, has written to his MP about the topic every day for 100 days. 

“I have battled with the Foreign Office over their advisories for 30 years but for 29 of those I at least felt they employed some sort of moral code to try to get their advice right: balancing safety with common sense both economically and operationally. Not anymore. The blanket non-essential ban on the whole of the African continent defies logic and if it was not so catastrophically damaging it would be humorous in its stupidity.”

To say frustration is mounting within the travel community is an understatement, and there’s now a growing feeling that Africa is being unfairly overlooked. Whether that’s due to prejudice, ignorance or the lack of political clout the continent wields is unclear. Perhaps it’s a combination of all three.

“I do feel Africa is being viewed very differently from other destinations,” says Mears. “This needs to change.”

BY  Greg Dickinson

The UK Government has announced new travel corridors with Rwanda and Namibia, giving Britons the chance of a quarantine-free post-lockdown holiday. 

In total, there are four African countries that you can visit without needing to go into quarantine on your return – Rwanda, Namibia, Seychelles and Mauritius (shaded green on the map below).  However, you cannot currently fly to Namibia without transiting in a red-listed country (such as South Africa), meaning there are just three viable quarantine-free holiday options in Africa right now.

There are still more travel corridors that could be added on the continent. As part of our Unlock Long Haul campaign, we are urging the Government to lift restrictions to destinations with a lower Covid rate than the UK (that’s all of them, in the case of the African continent). We’ve had some early success, with eight new corridors announced on November 12 and a further eight on November 19.

Aside from our travel corridors, there are 33 African countries that you can enter right now, including safari favourites like Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa. You can see which non-corridor countries are open to British holidaymakers (shaded orange) on the map below. The red countries are not open to tourists. All other countries had FCDO travel restrictions in place prior to the pandemic.

Algeria

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 15.1 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Angola

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 3.1 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Benin

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 1.8 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Botswana

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 56.3 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Arrivals must present proof of a negative Covid PCR test taken no more than 72 hours prior to your departure. After arrival, you must self-monitor for symptoms.

How to get there: No non-stop flights from the UK. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have flights via Johannesburg; Ethiopian has flights via Addis Ababa.

Burkina Faso

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 0.3 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Burundi

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 0.2 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Cameroon

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 1.9 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Cape Verde

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 80.1 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: You’ll  need to take a Covid nasal PCR swab up to 72 hours before arrival. Health screening on arrival.

How to get there: Tui is operating direct flights from Gatwick to Sal in Cape Verde.

Central African Republic

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 0.3 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Chad

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 0.3 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Comoros

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 2.6 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: The FCDO does not give specific Covid-19 travel advice for Comoros.

How to get there: Flying to Comoros requires multiple changeovers.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 2.6 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Djibouti

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 2.4 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Provide negative PCR test certificate, taken 72 hours before you travel. A second Covid-19 test is required on arrival â€“ if negative, you can proceed. If positive, you must remain in quarantine until you test negative.

How to get there: There are no non-stop flights to Djibouti. Turkish Airlines operates limited flights via Istanbul.

Egypt

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 1.8 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Arrive with a negative PCR test certificate, taken no more than 96 hours before departure (from Heathrow) or 72 hours from all other airports.

How to get there: EasyJet is operating non-stop flights from Gatwick to Sharm el Sheikh. Tui and easyJet are operating flights from Gatwick to Hurghada. British Airways and Egyptair have flights from Heathrow to Cairo.

Equatorial Guinea

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 1.5 cases per 100,000 

Open to British tourists? No

Eritrea

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 0.8 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 8.8 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Provide negative PCR Covid result, taken 72 hours before travel. Health screening on arrival, and a possible 14-day quarantine. You must also take a test up to 72 hours before departing eSwatini.

How to get there: No direct flights are available from the UK to eSwatini.

Ethiopia

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 2.9 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Proof of negative Covid PCR result, taken within the previous 120 hours (5 days). Arrivals must go into mandatory quarantine on entering Ethiopia. Health screening on arrival.

How to get there: Ethiopian operates direct flights from Heathrow to Addis Ababa.

Gabon

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 1.7 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: All arrivals must take a Covid test at Libreville Airport. Passengers must then self-isolate for 48 hours while the result is being processed. If negative, you will receive a certificate valid for 14 days, after which a second test must be taken. If negative, you must go into self-isolation.

How to get there: No non-stop flights to Gabon. Turkish Airlines operate flights from Heathrow, with a changeover in Istanbul.

The Gambia

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 0.3 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Provide negative PCR Covid result, taken 72 hours before travel. Further health screening on arrival.

How to get there: Tui and Titan Airways are operating non-stop direct flights from Gatwick to Banjul.

Ghana

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 3.9 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Guinea

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 1.6 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Provide negative Covid-19 PCR test result, taken within five days of your flight. Further health screening on arrival.

How to get there: Royal Air Maroc operates flights from Heathrow to Conakry, with a changeover in Casablanca. 

Guinea-Bissau

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 0.1 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Provide negative PCR Covid result, taken 72 hours before travel. Health screening on arrival.

How to get there: Flights are running via Lisbon – see TAP Air Portugal for options.

Ivory Coast

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 0.8 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Provide evidence of negative Covid-19 PCR test result, taken a maximum of seven days prior to travel. Complete a DDVA form prior to travel, and comply with monitoring procedures on arrival.

How to get there: Royal Air Maroc is running flights from Heathrow to Abidjan via Casablanca. Brussels Airlines and Air France have routes from Manchester to Abidjan via Brussels and Paris, respectively. 

Kenya

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 15.8 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Arrivals must carry evidence of a negative Covid-19 PCR test taken within 96 hours of flying. Health screening on arrival.

How to get there: Kenya Airways and British Airways are running direct, non-stop flights from Heathrow to Nairobi.

Lesotho

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 1.5 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Liberia

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 1.4 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Present negative PCR Covid result taken 72 hours prior to travel.

How to get there: No direct flights. Royal Maroc Air has flights via Casablanca.

Libya

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 68.6 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Madagascar

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 0.3 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Malawi

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 0.2 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within 10 days of arrival. Another test on arrival, at your expense – you must remain at the testing centre until results are known (maximum 24 hours).

How to get there: Kenya Airways fly from Heathrow to Lilongwe via Nairobi. Ethiopian Airways have flights via Addis Ababa.

Mali

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 1.5 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Mauritania

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 3.7 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Mauritius

Travel corridor? Yes

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 3.2 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Take PCR Covid-19 test no more than seven days before departure. Take further tests on days seven and 14 of your trip. Quarantine in a government-approved hotel for first 14 days.

How to get there: British Airways is operating flights from Gatwick to Mauritius.

Morocco

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 100.9 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Mozambique

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 2.2 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Arrive with a negative Covid-19 PCR result, no more than 72 hours before arrival. 

How to get there: Ethiopian run flights from Heathrow to Maputo via Addis Ababa.

Namibia

Travel corridor? Yes

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 14.6 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Arrive with a negative Covid PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before travel. If your test result is between 72 hours and seven days old, you will need to quarantine for seven days on arrival.

How to get there: The catch to the new travel corridor is that you can’t fly into Namibia without going via a country that is off the UK’s travel corridor list, meaning you will need to go into quarantine on your return to the UK. Ethiopian fly from Heathrow to Windhoek via Addis Ababa. Lufthansa operate flights via Frankfurt. Airlink and Virgin Atlantic fly via Johannesburg.

Niger

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 0.3 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Nigeria

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 0.7 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Arrivals must present a negative Covid result taken within 120 hours of their departure. You must then book and pay for a second PCR test for day seven after arrival, and self-isolate for that week.

How to get there: Virgin Atlantic and British Airways are flying to Lagos from Heathrow.

Republic of the Congo

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): N/A

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Arrivals must present a negative Covid PCR test taken within 72 hours of travel. Health screening on arrival.

How to get there: No flights available without multiple changeovers.

Rwanda

Travel corridor? Yes

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 1.9 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Negative PCR test result taken 120 hours prior to departure. Health screening on arrival. Second test on arrival, during which you must self-isolate at a designated hotel while waiting for results (US$50). Exit screening for all departures.

How to get there: Turkish Airlines operate flights via Istanbul. KLM operate flights via Amsterdam.  Ethipoian operate flights via Addis Ababa. Rwandair operate flights via Brussels.

• Why Rwanda desperately needs tourists, and how to get there

Sao Tome and Principe

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 2.4 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Proof of negative Covid-19 PCR test taken in the 72 hours prior to arrival.

How to get there: No viable flights available.

Senegal

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 0.6 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: You must provide a negative test dated no more than five days before departure. You may need to provide a letter of support from the Senegalese Embassy in London before boarding your flight (contact [email protected]).

How to get there: No direct flights. Air France has flights via Paris, TAP has flights via Lisbon, Iberia has flights via Madrid

Seychelles

Travel corridor? Yes

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 2.1 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Arrive with a PCR Covid test taken no more than 48 hours before departure. Self-isolate on arrival for five days. A second Covid test taken on the fifth day of your stay.

How to get there: British Airways has direct flights from Heathrow to Mahe.

Sierra Leone

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 0.1 cases per 100,000  

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Proof of a negative PCR Covid result taken less than seven days before arrival. Further testing on arrival.

How to get there: No direct flights. Brussels Airlines has flights via Brussels, Royal Air Maroc has flights via Casablanca.

Somalia

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 0.5 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

South Africa

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 25.5 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: South Africa now permits international travel to and from all countries. On arrival, show evidence of a negative PCR Covid test taken less than 72 hours before travel. Health screening on arrival.

How to get there: British Airways and Virgin have direct flights from Heathrow to Johannesburg. British Airways flies direct from Heathrow to Cape Town.

• South Africa's greatest wildlife holidays, from Big Five safaris to desert drives

South Sudan

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 0.5 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? No

Sudan

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 2.1 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Prove negative PCR Covid result taken less than 72 hours before arrival. Temperature check before departure.

How to get there: No direct flights. Turkish Airlines flies via Istanbul. Egyptair flies via Cairo.

Tanzania

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): N/A (no cases declared since May 8)

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Temperature screening on arrival. PCR test required if you show symptoms. 

How to get there: No direct flights. Qatar flies via Doha, which has a travel corridor with the UK. Kenya Airways flies via Nairobi. KLM flies via Amsterdam. Turkish fly via Istanbul.

• On safari in Tanzania, the country that tackled Covid with lemon, ginger and prayer

Togo

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 2.5 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Test on arrival (£55), organised prior to travel via the Government’s online immigration and health form. Self isolate until results are in, around 24 hours later.

How to get there: No direct flights from the UK. Air France has flights via Paris; Egyptair has flights via Addis Ababa.

Tunisia

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 80 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: PCR test taken between 72 hours and 120 hours before travel, and show evidence of the negative result. Complete short questionnaire before travel, then self-isolate on arrival for 14 days at your own expense. Authorities may assess your accommodation to check if it’s suitable for quarantine.

How to get there: Tunisair operates direct flights from Heathrow to Tunis.

Uganda

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 4.5 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Arrivals must present a negative Covid-19 test certificate, issued no more than 72 hours before boarding the aircraft. Those without will be denied entry. Temperature checks on arrival. 

How to get there: No direct flights from the UK, but Ethiopian Airlines flies from London Heathrow to Entebbe via Addis Ababa. 

Zambia

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 1.4 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: All visitors must have proof of a negative Covid-19 test in the 14 days before arrival. Temperature checks on arrival; if you register a temperature higher than 38 degrees Celsius you will be tested, and if found positive taken to government facilities for treatment and quarantine. 

How to get there: No direct flights from the UK, but capital Lusaka can be reached from Heathrow with Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa and Harare, or via Istanbul (reached from London Heathrow with Turkish Airlines).

Zimbabwe

Travel corridor? No

Seven-day case rate (Nov 19): 2.6 cases per 100,000

Open to British tourists? Yes

Entry rules: Overseas arrivals are now able to skip quarantine if they present evidence of a negative test no more than 48 hours old (if the test has expired, they can take one at the airport for $60 – the results usually arrive in a couple of hours). If you test positive you will be required to isolate at a state facility for 14 days. 

How to get there: No direct flights from the UK but capital Harare can be reached with Ethiopian Airlines from London Heathrow via Addis Ababa. 

Niyi Okuboyejo makes his efo riro with turkey and yams, but you should feel free to experiment. It’s a dish, he says, that rewards improvisation.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says recent media reports that motorists had abandoned the Abuja-Kaduna highway because of insecurity is misleading. DHQ had on Saturday led journalists on tour of the road from Abuja to Kaduna to ascertain the validity of the claim. 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that there was normal movement of various types of vehicles on the road from Zuba to Kaduna. The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, said the tour was to enable the journalists have first hand information on the security situation on the road.

Enenche said the tour was to also correct the purported desertion of the road and assure motorists of their safety. “People are being misinformed and there is no truth whatsoever that the road is deserted. “We are telling the general public that they should have confidence in the armed forces and the operation that is going on here and go about their normal business. 

“We are there to protect you and to continue to take the criminals out of their enclaves and just be waiting for them on the road,” he said. Maj.-Gen. Usman Mohammed, General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna, said that the troops of Operation Thunder Strike had continued to provide security on the highway. Mohammed, who also doubled as the Commander of the Defence Headquarters led Operation Thunder Strike, said that successes have been recorded in the fight against kidnapping in spite of the recent incident.

“Quite alright there is threat on this road sometimes as you are aware of the incident that happened here last Sunday. “Even though some people were kidnapped, some were rescued while efforts are on to rescue the remaining ones,” he said. The GOC said the operation was organised into six sectors covering the entire stretch of the road from Zuba to Kaduna to carry out mobile patrol and respond to security threats on the road. He said the troops also carry out clearance operations to identified hideouts of the criminals with minimal presence of the troops on the highway.

He said that the strategy was for the troops to go after the criminals in their enclaves so as not to allow them have any opportunity of coming out to the road in the first place. Mohammed said the military had put in place adequate measures to keep the road safe and free for traffic flow. “After the last incidence, we have increased the number of troops on this road and we have added additional logistics so that people can be seeing their presence on the road.

“We are going to also police the hot spots and I want to use this opportunity to reassure members of the public that we are doing our best. “Contrary to the report that the security were not on the road, we are doing our best to ensure that there is peace and security on the road,” he said. Mr Umar Jere, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Jere Branch, said the security agencies had been doing their best to secure the road. Jere said that his members had confidence in the ability of the military and other security agencies to keep the road safe and secure from criminals. He called on the security agencies to sustain the tempo of their operation to deny the criminals any freedom of action. 

(NAN)

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/20...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Millions of Americans bought tickets to fly somewhere for Thanksgiving before the nation's top public health agency pleaded with them not to travel for the holiday.

So what are they doing now? In many cases, they're still crowding airports and boarding planes. That's despite relatively lenient cancellation policies that major airlines have implemented since the coronavirus pandemic emerged earlier this year.

“Consumers should feel comfortable changing their plans and cancelling their flights if they need to for health reasons,” said John Breyault of the National Consumers League.

Most airlines won't pay cash to refund a flight if you decide to heed national health warnings but they are waiving fees and offering vouchers. Breyault said to “familiarize yourself with the policies” because the voucher specifics vary by airline and can depend on when the ticket was booked.

It's not clear how many people are taking those vouchers. Images that emerged this weekend of crowded airport terminals showed that plenty of people are flying anyway.

More than 2 million people were screened at U.S. airports on Friday and Saturday, according to the Transportation Security Administration. While that's far lower than during the same time last year, Friday was only the second time since mid-March that daily airport screenings topped 1 million.

A day earlier, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Americans should skip Thanksgiving travel and not spend the holiday with people from outside their household. The nation’s top infectious diseases expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said Sunday he’s worried that instances of crowding at U.S. airports from Thanksgiving travel could lead to a perilous situation as COVID-19 cases surge.

Fauci told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that people at airports “are going to get us into even more trouble than we’re in right now.” He said that new COVID-19 cases from Thanksgiving won’t become evident until weeks later, making it “very difficult” as the virus spirals out of control heading into colder weather and the December holiday season.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

Airlines have emphasized what they're doing to sanitize gates and kiosks, shorten lines and gatherings and purify the air. But most are also offering opportunities for people to skip their holiday flights and travel later, though travellers might have to pay more for the replacement flight if it's more expensive.

Some have argued that airlines should do more. U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat who has pushed for cash refunds for skipped flights during the pandemic, said people who dropped their Thanksgiving travel are doing the right thing and following public health guidance.

"Airlines, which have already received billions in government bailouts, should provide passengers cash refunds when they are spending the holiday without both family and economic certainty,” he said in an emailed statement Sunday.

For those still travelling , the TSA said it had prepared for higher traffic this week, increasing staff levels to keep lines shorter and maintain social distancing.

“We have been handling passenger volumes reaching more than 900,000 a day frequently since early October,” the agency said in an emailed statement Sunday.

Matt O'Brien, The Associated Press

By Samson Atekojo Usman

ABUJA, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Nigeria will bar passengers who fail to follow the country’s COVID-19 protocol from flying for six months, an official said on Monday.

Passengers returning to Nigeria are currently required to test for COVID-19 both before they board return flights and seven days after they arrive. They also must pay for the tests in advance.

Dr Sani Aliyu, coordinator of Nigeria’s COVID-19 task force, said 60% of those who pre-paid for tests had failed to show up for them.

“These passengers will not be allowed to travel for a period of six months,” Aliyu said. “We hope that we do not need to do this and people will comply with our protocol.”

Task force chair Boss Mustapha said passengers had spent more than 220 million naira ($580,000) on tests that they did not take. Tests at accredited private labs cost roughly 50,000 naira ($130).

As of Monday, Nigeria had 66,383 confirmed cases of the virus and 1,167 deaths. (Reporting By Libby George and Felix Onuah; Editing by Giles Elgood)

LONDON (Reuters) - People in Britain will need to consider their Christmas travelling routes carefully if COVID-19 restrictions are temporarily relaxed for a fixed period over the festive season, the transport minister said on Tuesday.

“I want to be completely up front with you. We are going to have to ask people to take a close look at any proposed journey and think about the routes that they’re taking,” Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told BBC TV.

The government said on Sunday that restrictions could be eased across Britain over Christmas to allow families to get together for a period of up to five days, leading to forecasts of gridlock as people all set off on the same day.

Christmas is always a busy time to travel, said Shapps, but the pandemic will add extra congestion, particularly on the railways with the need to social distance.

Shapps said he would do all he could to minimise planned Christmas engineering works on the rail network, but said some would have to go ahead as they had been scheduled two years in advance.

Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by Michael Holden

By Fadekemi Ajakaiye

Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola has ordered the immediate evacuation of trailers on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

He stated this recently at a Town Hall Meeting at Ogere, Ogun State, after his inspection of the rehabilitation, reconstruction and expansion of the Lagos-Ibadan Dual carriageway.

He stated that trucks parked along Lagos-Ibadan expressway henceforth may be impounded while the drivers/owners would be sanctioned.

He complained about the abuse of these roads by truck drivers who park indiscriminately and also spill petroleum products and other substances on the road, thereby causing road damages.

He pleaded with all stakeholders and commuters for their cooperation and sacrifice, which is essential for the success of the project.

He stated that the federal government through its financiers; Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund. PIDT, Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, NSIA, is committed to the smooth delivery of the project in good time.

"The roads on this entire project from Lagos to Ilela are strategic connections for the entire country, and so our, patience and cooperation is highly needed for it success," he said

He enjoined the construction companies employed; Julius Berger and RCC to improve the quality of signage for the safety of commuters. "Providing these signage is a way of showing compassion and ensuring ease of movement to the commuters", he said.

The host of the Town Hall Meeting, the Governor of Ogun State, Mr. Dapo Abiodun requested that some road projects be handed to the State government to speed up the development process.

He appealed to the contractors on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway project to adopt best practices on traffic management to minimize hardship, and also called for more sensitization of the public to help them understand the project better.

The Director Highways, (Construction and Rehabilitation) Federal Ministry of works and Housing, Engr. Olufunso Adebiyi, stated that Lagos-Ibadan Dual Carriageway which was originally completed in 1973 but due to age, excessive axle load and poor maintenance over the years, led to the road deteriorating with some sections characterised with pavement failures, multiple potholes, and eroded shoulders at various locations, which makes the use of the road traumatic.

"The challenges we are encountering on the project includes but not limited to encroachment of the Right of Way (ROW) of the road, insecurity around the project corridor, indiscriminate parking of trucks and articulated vehicles and high traffic volume, indiscipline of road users, disregard for signages especially around construction and diversion zones, oil spillage on new pavements, etc," he said.

He stated that more still needed to be done to conclusively resolve the hydra headed issue which has continuously affected the progress of the project. With the cooperation of all, the challenges will be overcome and the project delivered as scheduled, he said.