Nigeria shuts embassy in Mexico over fresh COVID-19 outbreak

The Nigerian Embassy in Mexico has been closed due to a fresh outbreak of COVID-19 within the mission.

The closure will last seven days beginning from Monday in the first instance, Abimbola Tooki, spokesman for the Nigerian ambassador to Mexico, Adejare Bello, said in a statement on Sunday.

According to the statement, six of the mission staff have tested positive to COVID-19.

Bello noted that the affected staff are currently being given maximum care while assuring Nigerians that the affected staff are in good hands.

A total of 6.82 million cases with 328,000 deaths have so far been recorded in Mexico since the outbreak of the virus.

Bello disclosed that quarters like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja and that of Mexico have been duly notified of this development.

The temporary closure, according to the ambassador, will allow the embassy to be fumigated and all other precautions put in place while the closure lasts.

Bello also disclosed that all home-based officers and the local staff of the mission have been directed to work from home pending further directives.

Mexico has administered at least 209 million doses of COVID vaccines so far.