In the wake of a new COVID-19 Variant – Omicron, the Federal Government of Nigeria has advised citizens and residents to exercise extra caution and vigilance in the practice and enforcement of preventive measures.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC), Boss Mustapha has advised Nigerians and residents to be fully vaccinated, ensure frequent testing, and continue to strictly adhere to the non-pharmaceutical intervention COVID-19 measures, including physical distancing, properly wearing of face masks, ensure proper ventilation and hand hygiene.
Mustapha during the National Briefing by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 (PTF) for Monday, November 29, 2021, said the Omicron “is potentially dangerous.”
The PSC Chairman, while quoting the WHO DG said, “the emergence of the highly-mutated Omicron variant underlines just how perilous and precarious our situation is. South Africa and Botswana should be thanked for detecting, sequencing, and reporting this variant, not penalized”.
He noted that the PSC is, however, reviewing the situation around the world and putting in place measures to curtail the impact of the variant on the country.
According to him, “The PSC is aware of some travelers who have resolved to circumvent the travel protocols by providing fake COVID-19 Test Results, Permit to Travel Certificates or declaring fake vaccination status at our Points of Entry. The weight of the law is heavy and will come hard on these people.”
He reiterated that the Vaccine Mandate will come into effect fully on December 1, 2021, therefore, encouraging every Federal Government Worker and in essence, all Nigerians and Residents to get vaccinated. “With the developments around the world, people will not be able to travel without their verified vaccination cards,” the PSC Chairman said.
Mustapha announced that “the impasse on the Nigeria – UAE flights have been resolved in the interest of both parties. Although this process has taken so long to pull through with its ripple effects, we thank everyone that was involved in getting this deal. A date for the commencement of flights between the two countries will be announced in due course.”
He spoke further, “The NPHCDA is ramping up vaccination around the country to ensure that citizens have access to the vaccines wherever they may be. The vaccines are now available, so we need people to go get their jabs.
“I announced at our last briefing that the PSC’s nine months mandate extension will come to an end by 31st December 2021. In order to effectively capture the core elements of our national response, a National Summit to end COVID-19 in 2022 and to strengthen Global Health Security is being planned to hold in Abuja from 6 – 7 December 2021.”
