President Muhammadu Buhari has extended the mandate of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 “for a further period till the end of March 2021 bearing in mind the new surge in the number of cases and the bid for vaccines.”
The President announced this Tuesday in Abuja while receiving the End-of-Year Report of the task force.
According to President Buhari, “recent reports reaching me indicate that Nigeria is now facing a rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases nationwide which is similar to the second wave of infections occurring in other countries across the world.
A statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, noted that new epicentres have been identified and the nation cannot afford to lose the gains of the last nine months.
The president in the statement said he has critically evaluated the situation and remain convinced that urgent measures have to be taken to halt the spread and the attendant fatalities.
The President added that “the nation is clearly in a perilous situation given the virulent nature of this second wave and we must act decisively to protect our people. I therefore urge all sub-national entities, traditional rulers, religious and leaders of thought to collaborate with the PTF by taking up the responsibility for risk communication and community engagement at all levels. Now is the time for collective efforts to be intensified.
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“As the festive season approaches, I urge all Nigerians to remain vigilant and stay safe. Non-essential trips and large social gatherings should be avoided or shelved completely.”
