Nigeria’s biggest city imposed a new coronavirus law that carries strict penalties, including fines and imprisonment for violations.
Under the new law, the Lagos state governor can “quarantine anyone he deems fit and for any period of time, sanction erring individuals with fines of up to 500,000 naira or imprisonment of up to five years,” the state health commissioner, Akin Abayomi, said in an emailed statement. A 500,000 naira fine is the equivalent of about $1,220.
International passengers who provide misleading information or break protocols may be jailed for a year or pay fines, the commissioner said. People traveling from India, Brazil and Turkey who refuse to isolate will have their passports deactivated for at least a year. Foreign citizens may be deported.
The state has vaccinated 318,916 people with a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, with a goal to inoculate 14 million in total. Nigeria’s commercial capital carried out about half a million Covid-19 tests and has recorded 356 deaths and 274 active cases as of Friday.
