Britain’s Final Flight of nationals takes off Monday from MMIA, Lagos — As worship places open June 15 in UK

Abiodun OBA

Britain has concluded plans for its final flight of evacuating Britons trapped in the country by the coronavirus pandemic.

British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing announced that the final flight is scheduled for Monday and would take-off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos

According to her, British nationals were evacuated from Nigeria on Friday through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The Abuja-London flight also picked stranded citizens from Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

A statement by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office revealed that more than 2,200 stranded Britons were repatriated from Nigeria, 4,300 from South Africa, and 900 from Ghana, amongst other African countries.

In all, over 17,000 citizens including 8,400 stranded travellers and over 9,000 citizens on commercial flights have been evacuated from across Africa since March.

Meanwhile, places of worship are to reopen for individual prayer on June 15 in Britain as UK government said it reportedly looks to speed up easing measures in order to save jobs.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office on Sunday, said services and worship groups will still be banned for the time being due to concern that the new coronavirus spreads more quickly in enclosed spaces.

Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said in a statement, “People of all faiths have shown enormous patience and forbearance, unable to mark Easter, Passover, Ramadan or Vaisakhi with friends and family in the traditional way.

“We are now able to move forward with a limited but important return to houses of worship.”

Britain’s official COVID-19 death toll of 40,465 is second only to that of the United States.

The UK government also intends to reopen all stores on June 15 and then push ahead with a reported plan to return to something resembling the old way of life in July.