The Presidency has said the only way a second national lockdown can be averted is if all Nigerians adhere to the COVID-19 regulations recently signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
This was made known in a statement issued by Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, on Sunday.
President Buhari signed the COVID-19 law last Tuesday, according to Boss Mustapha, Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
According to the Presidency, it is worried by reports of non-compliance with the regulations that make mask-wearing and observation of social distancing in the public mandatory.
It stated that Nigerians still have unpleasant memories of the first lockdown in March and is still as much as possible not to impose a fresh one.
The statement read: “The Buhari administration is most reluctant to lock down the country and continues to emphasise the non-pharmaceutical measures, and the only way to avert lockdowns is to observe these measures as put in place by the Presidential Task Force.
“Nigerians have come a long way from the dreaded lockdown and the administration is unhappy about any prospects of bringing it back as many citizens will not have food on the table without venturing out on a day-to-day business.
“Nigerians are required to wear masks, wash hands regularly with soap and clean water, and keep a safe distance with anybody not in your household, hoping that this will help check the spread of COVID-19.”
The Presidency stated that “no one has immunity against this pandemic” except when vaccinated, noting that help is on the way regarding the importation of vaccines to inoculate Nigerians.
It, however, urged Nigerians to avoid what it described as baseless conspiracy theories, insisting that COVID-19 is a major public health threat.
The statement read: “Though vaccine availability is within reach, the propensity of the public for noncompliance weakens the fight against the virus.
“Nigerians must ignore baseless conspiracy theories that seek to deny the reality of the pandemic by complying with the order to wear masks.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is a major threat to public health and wearing of masks, social distancing in public places and the basic hygiene are necessary measures that have to be taken to safeguard the well-being of our citizens.
“Protecting public health is one of the sacred duties of any responsible government and the administration will not abdicate that responsibility.”
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