Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce PTF on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of Nigeria, Boss Mustapha, says the Taskforce will not hesitate from recommending another round of lockdown on the country should there be need.
Mr. Mustapha who stated this Monday in Abuja at the daily briefing on COVID-19 said attitude of Nigerians in the coming days would determine whether there should be a need for another round or not.
“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,” he said.
He advised Nigerians against repeating the mistakes of 1918 when people let down their guards following the ease of lockdown that was imposed during the Spanish Flu.
According to him, the easing of the lockdown is not an indication that the pandemic was over, adding that it was necessitated by the need to strike a delicate balance between the safety of lives and livelihoods.
“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.”
While stating that the capacity for testing have been expanded, with the opening of 40 laboratories and the creation of more testing centres, he added that case fatality in the country has reduced to 2.2 per cent.
