The Federal Government through the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on Covid-19 says it is currently monitoring the global situation of the newly mutated Covid-19 variant known as Omicron.
This is as the government has also insisted that Nigeria is yet to record any case of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19, despite the claims by Canadian authorities’ that 2 passengers from Nigeria had tested positive to the new variant.
This was made known by the Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF) who also doubles as the Chairman of the PSC on Covid-19, Mr Boss Mustapha, during a press briefing of the committee on Monday in Abuja.
What the SGF and Chairman of PSC on Covid-19 is saying
According to NAN, Mustapha said that as the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) had stated, the emergence of the highly-mutated Omicron variant underlines just how perilous and precarious our situation is.
Mustapaha, while speaking said, “South Africa and Botswana should be commended for detecting, sequencing and reporting this variant, not penalised.
“Nigerians and residents are therefore urged to get fully vaccinated, frequently tested, and continue to strictly adhere to the non-pharmaceutical intervention measures, including physical distancing, proper wearing of face mask, ensure proper ventilation and hand hygiene.
“However, the PSC is reviewing the situation around the world and putting in place measures to curtail the impact of the variant on the country.”
Going further, the SGF said that the PSC was aware of some travellers who circumvent travel protocols by providing fake Covid-19 test results, permit to travel certificates or declaring fake vaccination status at points of entry adding that ‘the weight of the law is heavy and will come hard on these people.’
On the issue of the December 1 deadline for vaccine mandate for civil servants, the PSC Chairman said, “The vaccine mandate will come into effect fully on Dec. 1, 2021, and I encourage every Federal Government worker and in essence, all Nigerians and residents to get vaccinated.
“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 available, so, we need people to go get their jabs.
“With the developments around the world, people will not be able to travel without their verified vaccination cards. On the suspension of ban on Emirates Airlines, he said “the PSC will want to inform you 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 involved in getting this deal. A date for the commencement of flights between the two countries will be announced in due course.”
What you should know
- The new Omicron Covid-19 variant which was reported to have been first discovered in South Africa, has spread to some other countries which include the UK, Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Australia, Israel and Hong Kong, among other countries.
- However, it is quite unclear how deadly the variant is to public health and the extent of the actual spread of the omicron variant around the world as countries discover new cases each day.
- The WHO has listed Omicron as a “variant of concern” and countries around the world are now restricting travel from Southern Africa, where the new strain was first detected and taking other new precautions.
