The Federal Government has said that another round of COVID-19-induced lockdown of the country may become inevitable if Nigerians do not change their attitude towards the virus.
The Chairman, Presidential Taskforce PTF on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, stated this Monday at the daily briefing of the taskforce in Abuja.
He advised Nigerians against repeating the mistakes of 1918 when people let down their guards following the ease of the lockdown that was imposed during the Spanish Flu.
The PTF boss said it was worrisome that fatality rate for the virus has now risen to 2.7 percent.
This is just as the taskforce issued COVID-19 guidelines for the conduct of off-season elections in Edo and Ondo as well as by-elections in some states of the Federation.
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Mustapha urged influential Nigerians to take leadership in this trying time and stop thinking that the virus is a respecter of persons.
The PTF Chairman said, “As to whether we would advise Mr President to consider another lockdown, I have said it here that lockdowns might not be popular but what will happen in the preceding weeks will determine. Madagascar has imposed a lockdown in spite of its herbal cure.
“About 39 states in the US because of the Thanksgiving Holiday and their National Day celebration on the 4th of June have begun to see spikes in their figures and the speed with which they were considering the ease of lockdown, a lot of states have slowed down.
“We have now isolated 11 local governments. We started with 20 but the dynamics of figures that keep jumping every week, there are now about 11 local governments that we have advised the sub-nationalities to consider precision lockdowns in these areas. I believe as the days and weeks ahead would present,
“I will not be speculative as to what would happen in the future, but we will do everything within our mandate to ensure the safety and the protection of the well-being of the people of Nigeria. If that would require a recommendation of a lockdown, this Taskforce will not shy away from its responsibilities.
“We will take that decision. We will make our recommendations to Mr President who will finally decide but we would first take a decision on our side as members of this Taskforce within the context of the mandate that has been given to us and make that recommendation. But such a decision or advice being taken now would be speculative. What would happen in the next two to three weeks would determine what would eventually be our recommendation.”