*Mulls ban on international travels
By Olawale Ajimotokan
The federal government has issued an advisory to all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to close all bars, night clubs, pubs and event centres, and recreational venues for the next five weeks as a precaution to stem the escalating cases of COVID-19 across the country.
The Chairman Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Mr Boss Mustapha, issued the advisory on Monday at the PTF briefing in Abuja.
Mustapha also said that President Muhammadu Buhari had accordingly authorised the PTF to engage with the states and the FCT to assume full ownership of this stage of the response by deploying legal structures and resources, including enforcement to manage the pandemic within their jurisdictions.
He said that bars, night clubs, pubs and event centres, and recreational venues were listed to be closed for the period because these activities were considered super spreader events for coronavirus.
All the states and the FCT are to restrict all informal and formal festivity events including weddings, conferences, congresses, office parties, concerts, seminars, sporting activities, end of year events to not more than 50 persons, while Mosques and Churches should not be filled beyond 50 per cent of their installed capacity during prayer time.
The sub-national authorities are also to strictly enforce compliance with physical distancing and mandatory use of face masks.
The PTF will also on Tuesday, December 22, 2020, at 3.00 pm submit its end-of-year report to President Buhari. Mustapha assured that Nigerians will be updated of developments in this regard.
Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, disclosed that the federal was also having a lot of discussions with the aviation and health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO), on the calls for the restriction of international travels due to the discovery of new strains of the virus in certain countries.
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