…As BA, Others Suspend Flight To China
As the Coronavirus deadly disease continues to claim lives, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has closed down Chinese-owned Panda Supermarket in the Jabi Area of Abuja.
According To the Commission it is part of efforts to prevent the disease from spreading into the country.
The FCCPC also said in its tweets that it had seized some frozen food items illegally imported from China.
More shocking pictures posted by the commission in its tweets showed some frozen food with 2089 as it expiry date.
This, the agency said further led to suspicion that the products may not have been certified by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
“The FCCPC inspected Panda Supermarket, Jabi, on credible reports that it discriminated and had a concealed area for Asian nationals. The allegation was confirmed. Seafood and animal products imported illegally from China were discovered.
“The store was closed for cautionary reasons considering the Coronavirus. Products with expired and irregular shelf life were also discovered at Panda. Regulatory activities to remove all such products from the supermarket continue,” the Commission stated in its tweet.
Meanwhile, British Airways said it is canceling all flights to outbreak-stricken mainland China.
It is the first major airline to do so as the number of people in the country infected by a fast-spreading Coronavirus surpassed that of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), close to 10 years ago.
The British Airway flights will stay grounded at least until January 31, the carrier said Wednesday.
The UK flag carrier, which operates daily flights from London to Shanghai and Beijing, stated that it made the decision “following advice from the Foreign Office against all but essential travel.”
“We apologize to customers for the inconvenience, but the safety of our customers and crew is always our priority,” British Airways said in a statement Wednesday. “Customers due to travel to or from China in the coming days can find more information on ba.com, ” the airline said.
Indonesia’s Lion Air, on its part said that it would suspend all flights to China beginning from Saturday, February 1, 2020.
No fewer than 132 people have died from the Coronavirus outbreak in China.
