TheCable

The Nigerian consulate in New York has suspended operations temporarily, following the exposure of some of its staff members to the coronavirus. 

The closure took effect on February 18, 2021.

In a public notice, the consulate said the closure became necessary as an undisclosed number of staff members have gone into isolation after their exposure to the virus.

“The general public is hereby notified that the Consulate General of Nigeria, New York, will be temporarily closed from Thursday, 18th February, 2021 to Sunday, 28th February, 2021 due to the number of staff who are quarantined as a result of exposure to COVID-19 at work,” the notice reads.

“This action has become necessary to safeguard the health of staff and visitors to the Consulate.

“Therefore, passport applicants who have been earlier scheduled for biometrics within the period of closure would be rescheduled and informed accordingly.

“All other requests for consular services should be mailed to the Consulate during this period.”

The consulate general said it will reopen for normal services on March 1, 2021.

According to Worldometer, global statistics platform, more than 28 million people have been confirmed positive for the coronavirus, out of which over 500,000 deaths and 18.7 million recoveries have been recorded.