Just In: FG Speaks on Lockdown as COVID-19 Spike Continues in Nigeria
- The federal government has said the COVID-19 spike in Nigeria has not reached a level that will warrant imposing another lockdown
- Dr Osagie Ehanire, the minister of health, said this at a press briefing, noting that lockdown is a last resort
- The minister also said the FG has paid for about 30 million doses of Johnson&Johnson COVID1-9 vaccine as it seeks to check the spread of infections
State House, Abuja - The federal government has said it was not considering a lockdown despite the rising cases of COVID-19 infections across the country.
Channels TV reported that the minister of health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said this on Thursday, August 12, at the weekly ministerial briefing held at the State House in Abuja.
Source: Facebook
Legit.ng gathers that the minister said the number of cases was not threatening enough for a lockdown to be considered.
On Wednesday, August 11, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) recorded 790 cases of new COVID-19 cases.
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The figure was reportedly the highest in about six months.
A recent surge in infections has been partly attributed to the Delta variant, which is believed to be more contagious and deadlier.
Also reporting the same development, The Nation stated that Dr Ehanire said total lockdown will be the last resort in its strategy to contain the spread of Delta variant of COVID-19.
The minister was cited as saying that countries have become circumspect with imposing total lockdowns as was seen at the onset of the outbreak.
He added that administrators would rather employ precision lockdowns on specific areas of the country under threat.
Nigeria has paid for COVID-19 vaccine
Ehanire also revealed that apart from the vaccines sourced free of charge, Nigeria has paid for about 30 million doses of Johnson&Johnson COVID1-9 vaccine.
According to him, since the prices of the one-shot vaccine have dropped, the country hopes to purchase about 40 million doses of the vaccine in all.
Ehanire said the 176,000 doses of the Johnson&Johnson doses have already been received while the rest will come in batches.
COVID-19: Why we have strict travel protocols - FG
Meanwhile, the federal government has said its strict travel protocols are put in place to protect Nigerians from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made this known while speaking to a news agency in Abuja on Wednesday, August 11.
He said Nigeria has been tagged as a very strict country in terms of travel protocols, explaining that the stand of the government was to protect its people against the spread of the virus.
Source: Legit.ng
