COVID-19: PTF Reveals Condition for Fresh Lockdown

The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has warned the nation might resort to the extreme option of another lockdown if Nigerians fail to comply with prescribed guidelines and protocols.

National Incident Manager of the PTF, Dr Mukhtar Muhammad, who gave the warning in an exclusive chat with The Nation in Abuja on Wednesday, January 27, however noted it would only become necessary when the current spiking rate of infections fails to abate.

“Lockdowns help to minimise people’s movements and it’s very effective because if you don’t go out or if you reduce the degree of your movement, you’ll also reduce the risk of getting infection.

Lockdown is not completely out of the table, we are monitoring the numbers, we are monitoring the statistics across the country and where necessary we’ll have to take severe measures.

For now, the PTF is very much aware of the hardship that lockdown brings along, particularly for low-income earners, for small businesses, for people who have to go out daily to get their daily bread, so we are doing everything possible not to have a total lockdown in the country, but for us not to reach that stage, we have to ensure that people take responsibility,” he said.