Nigeria restarts domestic flights amid easing coronavirus restrictions

By Abraham Achirga
ABUJA, July 8 (Reuters) - Nigeria resumed domestic flights
on Wednesday after a hiatus of around three months as Africa's
most populous country relaxes restrictions aimed at curbing the
spread of the new coronavirus.
The airports for the capital, Abuja, and commercial hub
Lagos reopened for flights. A handful of other airports will
open on July 11 and the remainder of airports will resume
flights on July 15.
The resumption of flights is the latest step by the
government to reopen Africa's biggest economy, which has also
been hit hard by low oil prices. In recent weeks it has lifted a
ban on interstate travel, allowed some pupils to return to
school and permitted places of worship to open.
A Reuters witness said passengers waiting to enter the
airport in the capital, Abuja, used markings on the floor to
observe social distancing and some used newly installed
handwashing facilities outside the building. Only a relatively
small number of people were waiting to travel.
Other safety measures in place included airport workers
taking the temperature of passengers and spraying bags with
decontamination fluids.
"We are not out to punish anybody. We are interested in
their wellbeing that is why we have put all of these things in
place, and so we expect them to please abide by all of these
procedures," said Henrietta Yakubu, a spokeswoman for the
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, on Tuesday as authorities
prepared for flights to restart.
No date has been given for the resumption of international
flights.
Despite efforts to kickstart the economy, health officials
have expressed fears that the outbreak in Africa's most populous
country might become much worse.
Nigeria had confirmed nearly 30,000 coronavirus cases and
669 deaths by late on Tuesday, with little sign of the outbreak
slowing.