BOSS Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and Chairman, Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, has said that the Federal Government will on Tuesday announce the next line of action following the end of Phase 11 of the eased lockdown.
The SGF disclosed this after he led members of the Task Force to the Presidential Villa where they met with President Muhammadu Buhari to brief him and submit the PTF’s recommendations.
Earlier, Bashir Ahmad, presidential aide on New Media said on Twitter that Boss would announce the next lines of action tomorrow after the meeting with the president.
“Today is the last day of the Nigeria’s phase II of the eased lockdown, members of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefed and submitted their recommendations to the President for approval, the next lines of action will be announced tomorrow, SGF Boss Mustapha discloses,” Ahmad wrote on Twitter.
Nigeria, on Sunday, recorded 490 new cases of COVID-19 bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 24,567.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), with Sunday’s figure, the total tally of infected people in the country rose to 24,567, from 24,077 reported on Saturday evening.
The Centre in a tweet Sunday night said the new cases were reported in 20 states. These are Lagos, Delta, Ebonyi, FCT, Plateau, Edo, Katsina, Imo, Ondo, Adamawa, Osun, Ogun, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Kogi, Oyo and Bayelsa states.
Nigeria recorded its first index case of COVID-19 pandemic on 27 February when an Italian citizen came from Milan to Lagos tested positive for the virus.
This was followed by a Nigerian citizen who had contact with the Italian citizen as the second case which was confirmed on 9 March, in Ewekoro, Ogun State.
On March 30, President Buhari ordered a 14-day total lockdown in Lagos, Ogun states and Abuja to contain the spread of the virus.
The president at the expiration of the lockdown imposed another 14-day lockdown.
“With this in mind and having carefully considered the briefings and Report from the Presidential Task Force and the various options offered, it has become necessary to extend the current restriction of movement in Lagos and Ogun States as well as the FCT for another 14 days effective from 11:59 pm on Monday, 13th of April, 2020. I am therefore once again asking you all to work with Government in this fight,” the president said during his second lockdown speech.
On April 27, the president announced gradual easing of lockdown in Abuja, Lagos and Ogun states after 35 days of total lockdow.
Lagos State remains the epicentre of COVID-19 in Nigeria and also reported the highest daily figure of infections as of Sunday evening.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State in April, said the delayed closure of the country’s borders, seaport, and airports, including the failure of returnees to self-isolate, caused the spread of COVID-19.
According to the governor in an Instalive chat with CNN, Lagos was prepared to curb the spread of COVID-19 but had to wait for the Federal Government to shut airport, seaport and land borders.
As of March 29 when president shut the country’s airports, seaports, and borders, Nigeria had recorded 111 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and one death.
However, as of May 9, Lagos has recorded a total of 2550 cases with 36 deaths.
The NCDC said on May 17, that a total of 338 new confirmed cases and six deaths were recorded in Nigeria.
Till date, 24,567 cases have been confirmed, 9,007 cases have been discharged and 565 deaths have been recorded in 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Abeeb Alawiye formerly works with The ICIR as a Reporter/Social Media officer. Now work as a Senior Journalist with BBC News Yoruba. You can shoot him an email via Abeeb.alawiye@bbc.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @habsonfloww