Sallah: NEC Urges Strict Adherence to COVID-19 Response Guidelines During Festivities
- The National Economic Council has urged Nigerians to adhere to the strict performance following a report from the NCDC
- According to the report, the positivity rate has gone up in the country just as 3 cases of the Delta variant have now been detected.
- This disclosure was made on Thursday, July 1, by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the council’s 118th meeting, which he was presided over
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Abuja - Ahead of next week's Sallah festivities, the National Economic Council (NEC) has calling for strict adherence to the COVID-19 response guidelines across the country.
This is coming after the council received a regular state performance report from the director-general Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu.
Source: Facebook
This disclosure was made on Thursday, July 15, at the council’s 118th meeting, which was held virtually and was presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
According to the report, the coronavirus positivity rate has gone up in the country just as 3 cases of the Delta variant have now been detected.
Ihekweazu, who noted that the Delta variant is a new variant identified in 103 countries and is 60% more transmissible than the highly infectious Alpha variant which was previously identified.
The DG said despite the low number of cases in the country, the positivity rate has gone up and Lagos State has a larger burden of 70%-80% cases in the country, having recorded an increase in the number of cases in the last 10 weeks.
The NCDC, therefore, urged the council to ensure the sustenance of effective COVID-19 response nationwide, while improving public health awareness, adherence to public health, and social measures.
The agency also called for the re-activation and sustained functioning of isolation centres as proactive preparatory measures towards tackling a possible third wave.
Ease the lockdown of the economy
A statement sent to Legit.ng by the spokesman of the vice president, Laolu Akande said the council was also briefed by the NEC Ad-hoc Committee interfacing with the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 to ease the lockdown of the economy.
The committee noted that state governors will continue to monitor the situation for the next one week to see if there will be a need for an emergency Ad-hoc committee meeting on the situation.
Financial updates
In addition, the council received a presentation on Flood Disaster Risk Management in Nigeria for 2021 by the minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management, and social development, and the Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
It urged State Governments to take proactive and necessary mitigative measures in addressing the envisaged 2021 flood disaster in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic while encouraging relevant Federal Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to take necessary actions.
The minister of finance, budget and national planning gave the council an update on the underlisted accounts as follows:
1. EXCESS CRUDE ACCOUNT (ECA)
Balance as at 13th July, 2021: - $60,852,533.19
2. STABLIZATION ACCOUNT
Balance as at 13th July, 2021: - N26,346,419,015.43
3. DEVELOPMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES ACCOUNT
Balance as at 13th July, 2021: - N23,573,977,607.78
NAFDAC approves 2 new COVID-19 vaccines for Nigeria
Meanwhile, after much consideration and research, the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has approved Moderna and Sputnik COVID-19 vaccines in Nigeria.
Professor Moji Adeyeye, NAFDAC's director-general, announced the approval on Thursday, July 15, during a press conference in Abuja.
Professor Adeyeye explained that the decision of the agency came after it realised that the benefits of using the vaccines outweigh the risks, although they are yet to be approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Source: Legit.ng
