COVID-19: FG re-introduces nationwide restrictions

*Shuts bars, recreational centres, limits public gatherings, govt meetings, travels

*Order to take effect midnight of Tuesday

Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja

In its bid to curb the spread of the new waves of coronavirus in the country, the Federal Government has reintroduced COVID-19 restrictions across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Speaking while addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, a member of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, Dr Mukhtar Mohammed, announced that the new directive will take effect from midnight of Tuesday.

According to Mohammed, who is the Head of Technical Secretariat of the PSC, the decision was informed by the surge and virulence of the variants that has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of persons in India and other countries.

He said, “The surge and virulence of the variants of concern has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of persons in India and a number of countries and has unfortunately disrupted the production of and global delivery programmes for vaccines.

“These developments clearly underscore the fact that indeed, no one can be safe until everyone is safe.

“On behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, the PSC wishes to express deep sympathies and condolences to these nations that have been badly affected by the new surge and pray that the Almighty should bring relief and total halt to the ravaging effect on humanity.

“The PSC also calls on all nations of goodwill, to continue the good work of supporting nations that are encountering the turbulence at this time”

While announcing that bars and nightclubs, gyms, and others would remain closed till further notice he added that the directive is to take effect from Tuesday.

Dr Mohammed also disclosed that gatherings of religious groups and weddings among others have been reduced to 50 percent attendance, while official engagements, meetings, and conferences should continue to hold virtually.

With the restrictions imposed, mass gatherings in public spaces have been restricted to 50 people at any given time.

Access to government institutions would also be denied to anyone not wearing a face mask while government meetings and travels have been limited to the virtual platform.

According to Mohammed, the government has directed that bars and nightclubs should remain closed and the nationwide curfew will be in force until further notice.
He added that only essential international travels would be encouraged, and all existing protocols must be strictly adhered to.

The PSC member, however, stated that there was no limitation to intra-state travel.

On 26th of April, the PSC took a precautionary step by restricting travel from three countries, Brazil, India and Turkey where there is observed high incidences of cases, high mortality rate and wide spread prevalence of evidence of concern.

“The PSC continuous to enforce the surveillance system at the countries ports of entry. While our vaccine roll out has began, there is a shortage in global supplies affected by the current situation in India.

“These translates to a delay in vaccinating a proportion of population and therefore, a risk of a large outbreak especially in the context of poor adherence to the recommended public health and social measures.

“There are concerns about the none compliance to public health and social measures which are contained in the health protection regulation 2021, specifically the level of adherence to the use of face mask, physical distancing, temperature checks in public spaces, hand washing and limitation of space to large gathering remain very poor. In some areas, these are even none existant.

“In line with increasing risk of a surge in cases, the PSC is therefore maintaining the enforcement of the covid-19 health protection regulation.

This is to mitigate the risk of a spike in new cases while the nationwide vaccine rollout continues.

The national response continues to maintain a balance between preserving lives and livelihood while worming for a long term epidemic control.

“Further to this recommendation and effective from 00:01hours on Tuesday, 11th May, 2021, this phase 4 of the first restriction of movement shall come into effect.

We shall maintain restrictions on mass gatherings outsidework setting with a maximum of 50 persons in any enclosed space.

Approved gatherings must be held in physical distancing measures and other none pharmaceutical measures in place.”

On his part, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, said returning foreign passengers who fled the quarantine facilities and violated the compulsory requirement would not go unpunished.

He noted that the committee has received reports that some persons who recently returned to the country violated the mandatory quarantine requirement under the advisory by escaping from the facilities.

Mustapha, who is also the PSC Chairman, condemned the violation of the nation’s laws and hospitality, noting that the committee was awaiting the report of ongoing investigations and would impose appropriate sanctions on the violators.

He revealed that the PSC has considered several pre-emptive measures to be taken to mitigate the likely impact of the variants of COVID-19, should they get imported into Nigeria.

The SGF explained that the step became important in view of the fragile state of the nation’s health systems, the disruption to the delivery of vaccines, and the lack of compliance with the extant public health measures and social measures contained in the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Health Protection Regulations 2021.

According to him, it is imperative to reinstitute the various public health measures that were put in place under the health protection regulations.