All diplomats from Brazil, India, South Africa and Turkey will be asked to quarantine in government-approved facilities.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama disclosed this at the media briefing of the presidential steering committee on COVID-19 (PSC) in Abuja on Monday.
However, the minister said there may few some exceptions.
Onyeama said ambassadors and deputy ambassadors coming from these countries will be exempted, but asked to isolate in their private residences.
“All diplomats coming from any of those four countries within the last 14 days have to, we’re afraid, quarantine in approved government facilities,” he said.
“The only exemption or waiver from this would be for the ambassador of a particular country, and his or her spouse, and the deputy ambassador.
“Only those three categories of diplomats can get an exemption not to isolate, but they still have to isolate in their private residences or whatever, but not have to isolate in government-approved facilities.”
He said the federal government has come up with guidelines for diplomats and other foreign officials coming into the country.
Onyeama said the protocol was for two categories — restricted and non-restricted countries — adding that there are four countries under the restricted protocol — South Africa, India, Brazil and Turkey.
The federal government had placed special restrictions on in-bound travellers from South Africa, India, Brazil and Turkey, as a result of the high number of COVID infections in those countries.
“We had some issues with diplomats at ports of entry. The presidential steering committee decided that we had to come up with something that was clear that everybody, all the diplomats, would understand and not have the difficult situation that we were having,” he said.
“Now, for those diplomats coming from non-restricted countries, they can get special waivers on the seven-day isolation. And this will be applicable or available to high-profile diplomats.
“If, for instance, they are coming to meet with the president, or the vice-president, then they will qualify for a seven-day isolation, then the others will now be decided on an ad hoc basis as to whether they would benefit from that waiver,” the foreign minister said.
