The International Emergency Management Society (TIEMS) West Africa chapter has called on the Governments in affected countries in the region to impose an international travel ban on government officials until further notice as the novel coronavirus continues to spread across the globe.

The Executive director of TIEMS in charge of Nigeria/West Africa, Ismail Sani in a statement observed that despite the alarming rate at which the deadly virus continued to spread across the globe, some government officials were still travelling outside their countries, especially in Nigeria to attend international conferences and events.

“The government should as a matter of urgent national importance suspend all foreign trips for its officials until further notice.

“Foreigners and other travellers should also be subjected to thorough health check and screening on arrival at the ports, no matter their status in order to safeguard the lives of the populace.

“The outbreak of the coronavirus has claimed lives and hospitalised so many in the last couple of days, hence the urgent need to be more proactive in approaching the situation at hand,” the TIEMS official concluded.

The International Emergency Management Society (TIEMS) is a global forum for education, training and certification in emergency and disaster management