Lock-down imminent in Abuja, FCT Minister warns of second wave of Covid-19

 The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Mohammed Bello, has warned that the second wave of Covid-19, may have hit the federal capital territory.

For this reason, the Minister says the FCT Administration may be constrained to declare another round of lockdown, if residents continue to ignore adherence to the health protocols.

The FCT minister, said this on Monday, at the emergency stakeholders’ review meeting, on the 2nd wave of covid-19 pandemic.

The minister decried non-compliance of the residents to COVID-19 safety protocol, he noted that the second wave of the virus is deadlier as lives are already being lost to the pandemic in the territory.

He called on FCT residents to adhere to all protocols stipulated, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus, by maintaining social distancing, washing of hands and wearing of face masks, even as he warned that declaring another round of lockdown will be detrimental to the city’s economy.

The FCT Emergency Stakeholders’ Review Meeting, came coming at the heel of the death of the Leadership Newspaper publisher, Sam Nda Isaiah, who died of complications from COVID-19.

Nigeria recorded three new deaths from the coronavirus on Sunday, according to official figures.

A total of 1,197 deaths have now been recorded thus far in Africa’s most populous country.

Nigeria also recorded 418 new infections on Sunday, according to an update Sunday night by the country’s infectious disease outfit, NCDC.

The latest figure came barely 48 hours after the country recorded its highest ever daily figure of 796, smashing the previous record of 745 reported on June 19.

New cases have been on the rise since early December with new infections still concentrated in Nigeria’s two major cities and hardest hit regions – Lagos and Abuja.