The mission also stated that routine consular service had
been suspended and US citizens will have to send messages for emergency
services.
The United States Government has announced that it will
evacuate its citizens in Nigeria to America as a result of the outbreak and
continued spread of Coronavirus.
In a statement on the website of U.S Embassy and Consulate
in Nigeria, American willing to board the special flights home must sign
promissory notes to pay for the full cost of the air ticket when they arrive
their country.
“Please note that all individuals who choose to return to
the U.S. on a flight organised by the U.S. Department of State will be required
to sign a promissory note to pay for the full cost of the seat(s) on the
flight. #USMissionNigeria,” the U.S Mission to Nigeria tweeted.
The statement added that there is no specific flight
information but that options being looked at will likely take citizens to a
major city on the East Coast.
The mission also stated that routine consular service had
been suspended and US citizens will have to send messages for emergency
services.
The statement reads, “Following CDC guidelines, individuals
who are confirmed or have symptoms or who have been in close contact with
someone who has been confirmed to have the COVID-19 virus, are asked to
self-isolate/quarantine for a period of 14 days.
“If that 14-day period has not passed, or if you have been
tested and are positive for the virus, you will not be allowed to board the
flight back to the U.S.
“The flight will be one-way to a destination likely to be a
major city somewhere on the East Coast. Once you arrive in the U.S., you will
be responsible to get yourself to your final destination.
“If you need to return to Nigeria, you will also be
responsible for booking and paying for that ticket as this is not a roundtrip
flight.
“The Embassy in Abuja and Consulate in Lagos are unable to
assist with lodging, food, or transportation costs.
“We have also been notified that many hotels are closed or
will be closing. U.S. citizens who have friends or relatives with whom they can
reside in Lagos or Abuja should consider travelling there before borders close,
keeping in mind that no flight details are available at present and you may
need to shelter in place for a few weeks.”
Earlier, Air France was granted permission to airlift
European citizens from Nigeria over fears that they might be infected with the
virus that is fast spreading in the country.
The airline has evacuated the first batch of Europeans and
will repeat the trip on April 2 and 9.
At the moment, Nigeria has 111 confirmed cases of the
pandemic and one recorded death.
However, foreign diplomats have warned of a significant rise
in the number of infected persons to around 10,000 in the coming days
especially going by the poor handling of the situation by the Nigerian
Government.
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