Tuesday, December 22, 2020 / 11:28 AM / By FG / Header Image
Credit: Twitter; @DigiCommsNG
...considers ban on international flights
The Federal Government has imposed new restrictions
amid the rising cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in various parts of the
country.
The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on
COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, announced this on Monday at the briefing of the task
force in Abuja, the nation's capital.
He explained that the directives were advisories
issued to state authorities for implementation in the next five weeks.
The new restrictions include civil servants from Grade
Level 12 and below to stay at home for the next five weeks; the closure of all
bars, nightclubs, pubs and event centres, as well as recreational venues in all
states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
All restaurants were also directed to close, except
those providing services to hotel residents, takeaways, home deliveries, and
drive-ins.
Similarly, all informal and formal festivity events,
including weddings, conferences, congresses, office parties, concerts,
seminars, sporting activities, end of year events, have been restricted to not
more than 50 people.
The government also limited all gatherings linked to
religious events to less than 50 per cent of the capacity of the facility of
use which physical distancing and use of face masks should be strictly
enforced.
According to Mr Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to
the Government of the Federation (SGF), events where more than 50 people are
attending should be held outdoors only.
He added that public transportation systems should
carry passengers not more than 50 per cent of their capacity, in compliance
with social distancing rules.
The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 says
Nigerian authorities are aware of the calls to restrict international travels
due to the discovery of new strains of coronavirus in some countries.
PTF Chairman and Secretary to the Government of the
Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, stated this on Monday while briefing
reporters in Abuja.
He explained that the task force was having
discussions with the aviation and health authorities, including the World
Health Organization (WHO), on the calls for the restriction of international
travels due to the discovery of new strains of the virus in certain countries.
Mustapha gave an assurance that the government would
take a position as soon as a cogent scientific basis was established.
According to him, the protection of Nigerians remains
the primary concern of the government and it will not relent in its resolve.
The SGF revealed that the PTF would submit its end of
the year report to President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, adding that Nigerians
would be kept abreast of developments in that regard.
Calls to restrict international travels were triggered
by the report of another variant of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom and South
Africa.
Among the concerned voices was that of a former vice
president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),
Atiku Abubakar.
In a statement on Sunday, Atiku explained that the
reason Nigeria took "a harder than necessary hit" during the first wave of
COVID-19 was that the government failed to heed the warnings of well-meaning
Nigerians to shut down the nation's borders as soon as the virus became a
pandemic.
The new variant of coronavirus in the UK and South
Africa is said to be more infectious than the original virus.
Following its emergence, dozens of countries,
including France and other nations of the European Union have suspended flights
from the UK.
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