President Muhammadu Buhari has approved extension of the measures to ease the Coronavirus lockdown in phase 1 of reopening the economy by two weeks.
Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, Boss Mustapha, who conveyed the approval by the President, said Nigeria is not yet ready for full opening of the economy and so tough decisions have to be taken for public good.
The two weeks extension of the eased lockdown will enable other segments of the economy prepare adequately for compliance with guidelines in preparation for reopening in coming weeks
Other approvals made by President Buhari include extension of the lockdown order in Kano State by additional two weeks.
The President also authorised the immediate imposition of precision lockdown in states or the nine high-burden Local Government Areas reporting increased number of cases when the need arises.
This includes Sokoto State that has recorded cluster of confirmed Coronavirus cases in one local government area.
Mustapha also said security agencies have received specific directives to strictly enforce the nationwide curfew; ban on interstate travels and wearing of face masks in public. In line with this, President Buhari has directed the PTF to work more closely with the State Governors to deepen the response to Covid-19.
At the PTF national briefing, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC will henceforth fund the accommodation and feeding of Nigerians being evacuated from foreign countries.
He, however, said no date has been approved yet for the evacuation of Nigerians in India. He confirmed that an indigenous airline was already in talks with the country’s High Commission in New Delhi.
In his address, Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, has trained first aid workers for all religious groups in Gombe State and supported screening of Almajiri coming into Jigawa State.
The Centre and development partners are also engaging influential religious leaders in eight states to facilitate community mobilisation. This is as it has commenced Coronavirus Infection, Prevention, and Control training for Almajiri in Kano State.
On his part, the NCDC Director-General, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said Nigeria is yet to receive reagents for testing of two million persons for Covid-19 after three weeks into the 3-month target set by the NCDC under his leadership.
The PTF National Coordinator, Sani Aliyu, warned that the promotion of ideas that Covid-19 does not exist is unhelpful to national response to the pandemic.
