Coronavirus: Why stay-at-home order is still in force -Buhari

…Seeks more support from Nigerians for measures to stem spread of pandemic

…Orders ministries to develop policy for Nigerian economy functioning with COVID-19

President Muhsmmadu Buhari, on Monday, explained why the Federal Government extended the stay-at-home order in Coronavirus frontline states of Lagos and Ogun as well as the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja by fourteen days.

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The president in a nationwide broadcast expressed alarm at the increase in number of persons infected by the coronavirus in the country which he said was mostly aggravated by close contact with infected persons.

Though the nation is on the right track to win the fight against COVID-19, Buhari, however, was   concerned about the increase in number of confirmed cases and deaths being reported across the world and in Nigeria specifically.

 He said: “On 30th March 2020, when we started our lockdown in conforming with medical and scientific advice, the total number of confirmed cases across the world was over 780,000.

“Yesterday (April 12), the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases globally was over one million, eight hundred and fifty thousand. This figure is more than double in two weeks!

“In the last fourteen days alone, over 70,000 people have died due to this disease.

“In the same period, we have seen the health system of even the most developed nations being overwhelmed by this virus.

“Here in Nigeria, we had 131 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 12 States on 30th March 2020. We had two fatalities then. 

“This morning (April 13), Nigeria had 323 confirmed cases in twenty states. Unfortunately, we now have ten fatalities. Lagos State remains the centre and accounts for 54% of the confirmed cases in Nigeria. When combined with the FCT, the two locations represent over 71% of the confirmed cases in Nigeria.

“Majority of the confirmed cases in Lagos and the FCT are individuals with recent international travel history or those that came into contact with returnees from international trips.”

“By closing our airports and land borders and putting strict conditions for seaport activities, we have reduced the impact of external factors on our country. However, the increase in the number of states with positive cases is alarming.

“The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has informed me that, a large proportion of new infections are now occurring in our communities, through person-to-person contacts. So we must pay attention to the danger of close contact between person to person.

“With this in mind and having carefully considered the briefings and Report from the Presidential Task Force and the various options offered, it has become necessary to extend the current restriction of movement in Lagos and Ogun states as well as the FCT for another 14 days effective from 11:59 pm on Monday, 13th of April, 2020. I am therefore once again asking you all to work with Government in this fight”.

Though a difficult decision to take, Buhari said he was convinced that this is the right decision as the repercussions of any premature end to the lockdown action are unimaginable.

 “We must not lose the gains achieved thus far. We must not allow a rapid increase in community transmission. We must endure a little longer”, he warned.

He, therefore, reminded all Nigerians to continue to take responsibility for the recommended measures to prevent transmission, including maintaining physical distancing, good personal hygiene and staying at home.

 In addition, he said he has signed the Quarantine Order in this regard and additional regulations to provide clarity in respect of the control measures for the COVID-19 pandemic which will be released soon.

President Buhari, who emphatise with Nigerians who have been padding through challenging period as a result of the lockdown and the attendant econmic challenges, acknowledged their perseverance and appreciated them for keeping faith with government.

He recognised the massive support from traditional rulers, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), support and contributions received from public spirited individuals, the business community and international partners and friends as well as media houses, celebrities and other public figures during this pandemic.

While promising to keep the economy going, he ordered some ministers to jointly develop a platform to further cushion the effects of the global crisis on the nation’s economy.

As a result of this pandemic, the world as we know it has changed. The way we interact with each other, conduct our businesses and trade, travel, educate our children and earn our livelihoods will be different.

“To ensure our economy adapts to this new reality, I am directing the Ministers of Industry, Trade and Investment, Communication and Digital Economy, Science and Technology, Transportation, Aviation, Interior, Health, Works and Housing, Labour and Employment and Education to jointly develop a comprehensive policy for a “Nigerian economy functioning with COVID-19”.

“The Ministers will be supported by the Presidential Economic Advisory Council and Economic Sustainability Committee in executing this mandate.

“I am also directing the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, the National Security Adviser, the Vice Chairman, National Food Security Council and the Chairman, Presidential Fertiliser Initiative to work with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to ensure the impact of this pandemic on our 2020 farming season is minimized,” he added.

Buhari said government has so far mplemented comprehensive public health measures that intensified case identification, testing, isolation and contact tracing capabilities while appreciating health workers across states of the federation in curtailing the spread of the pandemic.

“To date, we have identified 92% of all identified contacts while doubling the number of testing laboratories in the country and raising our testing capacity to 1,500 tests per day.

 “We also trained over 7,000 Healthcare workers on infection prevention and control while deploying NCDC teams to 19 states of the federation.

 “Lagos and Abuja today have the capacity to admit some 1,000 patients each across several treatment centres”, said the president.

He added that he had directed that the current social register be expanded from 2.6 million households to 3.6 million households in the next two weeks.

“This means we will support an additional one million homes with our social investment programmes. A technical committee is working on this and will submit a report to me by the end of this week,” the president stated.