THE Federal Government has started considering imposing a travel ban to and from certain parts of the world.
This is following the announcement by the United Kingdom that the mutated strain of Covid-19 has started manifesting itself in the country.
The new strain which is called ‘VUI 202012/01’, according UK Prime Minsiter Boris Johnson is 70 percent more infectious and makes up 60 percent of London’s new cases.
Boris also warned that the strain could increase the crucial R rate by 0.4.
The UK government has introduced toughened restrictions in London and the southeast of England to try to curb the spread of a new, fast-spreading variant of the virus, while Wales has entered another national lockdown.
Speaking on the mutated strain on Sunday, the health secretary said, Matt Hancock, the health secretary, it is “out of control”
Worried about the outbreak of the new strain of Covid-19, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said urgent steps needed to be taken before the incursion of the mutated strain into Nigeria.
He disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at a Special Forum of the News Agency of Nigeria.
He noted that the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 would meet on Monday (today) over the new strain of COVID-19 in the UK.
“We are more concerned about the new strain of COVID-19 which is manifesting itself in the UK; that is the mutated strain.“It is difficult to detect, it spreads faster and people have been known to die of it within a very short period of its detection.
“This is a major concern to us as a country.
“While I do not want to pre-empt the PTF because we are meeting this afternoon, it is going to be top on the agenda of our discussions.
“I will not be surprised if that will be the recommendation of the committee which is meeting later today,’’ he said.
The minister added: “This season, many students are coming from the UK in particular, to come and join their families in Nigeria.
“Besides, many of our people, because of the traditional link we have with the UK, may want to go there for business or family reunion.
“It is a very testy time and it might be another dangerous period to transmit this new variant of COVID-19.”
The minister noted that many European countries had banned flights to and from the UK.
According to Mohammed, the Federal Government will not hesitate in giving the directive if it is the only way Nigerians can be protected from the agony of the new variant of COVID-19.
Besides measures to prevent the importation of the new strain of COVID-19, the minister said the government was worried about the spike in infections in the last couple of days.
He enjoined Nigerians to comply with the advisory being regularly issued by the PTF, including the use of face masks, compliance with social distancing protocols, and regular washing of hands with soap and water.
The minister also urged Nigerians to refrain from local or international travels except if absolutely necessary.
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