The Federal Government says it is worried that Nigerians are not taking the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) seriously enough.
Since its index case was announced on February 27, 2020, Nigeria has recorded 2,950 coronavirus cases in 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Many states have been in partial or total lockdown over the past two months in a bid to combat the spread of the virus.
However, President Muhammadu Buhari eased those restrictions this week, replacing it with an overnight curfew, ban on interstate travels, compulsory wearing of face masks in public places, and stressing adherence to other safety guidelines.
While speaking during a media briefing on Wednesday, May 6, the chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, lamented that early assessment of the ease indicates that Nigerians are yet to come to terms with the deadliness of the virus.
"This gives us concerns on the high possibility of increased seeding of the virus to hitherto unaffected persons and populations," he said.
Mustapha noted that some of the violations observed include the non-compliance with social/physical distancing guidelines, increased level of interstate movements, and the unhygienic and ill-advised use and sharing of face masks.
He also lamented that state governors currently deporting almajiri students to their states of origin in the northern region are violating the president's ban on interstate travel.
He also called on the leadership of various transport unions to enlighten their members on the dangers of clustering passengers in their vehicles, and general non-adherence to the government's COVID-19 containment guidelines.
He appealed to members of the public to be vigilant and support the government in limiting the spread of the coronavirus disease.
"I want to reiterate the fact that our individual and collective safety is in our hands and I re-echo my call and appeal to Nigerians to demonstrate our duty to ourselves and loved ones by minimizing the risk of getting infected by the virus," he said.
481 people in Nigeria have recovered from the coronavirus and been discharged after medical treatment, but 98 people have died, as of May 5.
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