Nigerian govt mulls fresh lockdown over spike in COVID-19 cases

The Nigerian government may be forced to impose a fresh lockdown following the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in the country.

The Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, who disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of the virtual National Economic Council (NEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said a fresh lockdown “would be the last resort in the wake of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.”

But a few minutes after the NEC meeting, news emerged that the governor had tested positive for the virus and would immediately proceed on self-isolation in compliance with the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) directive on the matter.

He said the council expressed concern at the development and advised Nigerians to comply with health experts’ directive on personal hygiene and restrictions on the number of people in public gatherings among other protocols.

Lalong said: “It was resolved that proper measures should be taken again with very strict observation of the protocols and observation of some of the conditions that were laid, otherwise, we are going to move into a situation where it will be very uncontrollable.

READ ALSO: Lalong tests positive for COVID-19

“And for that, states were advised to go back and lay emphasis on the implementation or the enforcement of some of the protocols that we have earlier started in the first phase.

“Otherwise, we have to resort to the last aspect, of course everybody knows, going back to lockdown again which is not anybody’s doing.

“But then let’s all go back and observe most of the protocols that we have to curtail the further spread of COVID-19.”

Nigeria has recorded an upsurge in COVID-19 cases in recent week with NCDC confirming 930 fresh cases in 21 states of the federation and Abuja on Wednesday.

In a bid to prevent further spread of the virus, the government has continued to sensitise the people on total compliance with the preventive measures put in place by health experts.

Nigeria has 75, 062 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1, 200 fatalities as of Wednesday night.

However, 66, 775 patients had been effectively managed and discharged from various care centres across the country.

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