The Federal Capital Territory Administration ( FCTA) on Wednesday, insisted that all religious and social gatherings must be limited to 50 per cent of the hall capacity and urged all worship centres planning an elaborate New Year eve religious rituals, popularly known as ” Crossover Night ” to obey instituted authorities and adhere strictly to the recommended preventive measures and health guidelines.
In an interview with newsmen in Abuja, the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement Ikharo Attah, said the surge in new cases of COVID-19 was alarming, and the administration would not fold it’s arms and watch the situation go from bad to worse.
He also said that the ban on nightclubs and other social gatherings where physical distancing and non-pharmaceutical protocols cannot be achieved, remained in force.
He further disclosed that on December 26 alone the city recorded an alarmingly disturbing 806 new cases, while on the December 27 the new cases were 57.
Attah noted that on Tuesday December 28, 80 new cases were recorded in the nation’s capital, and that there must be government and all stakeholders’ effective collaboration to tackle the pandemic.
According to him, FCT ministers had at different occasions met with religious leaders and other stakeholders, creating synergy against the deadly pandemic, and also reiterating their commitments to keeping Abuja safe and secured.
While he appealed to religious leaders and residents to ensure complete compliance with all the Covid-19 guidelines issued by the Health and Human Services Secretariat last week, he noted that enforcement team would be mobilized to track down violators who will be made to face the laws of the land.
He added that the administration will continue to do everything necessary to have a healthy and prosperous capital city that is free from diseases and all manners of anti-social elements in the New Year.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre of Disease Control (NCDC) disclosed yesterday that Delta State topped the country’s daily COVID-19 chart on Tuesday with 194 out of the 599 cases recorded. The NCDC made this known on website on Wednesday morning.
The centre said the 194 cases were recorded from December 13 to December 27.
The Centre said the 599 cases on Tuesday showed another decline from the 859 registered on Monday.
The NCDC also said that Lagos State reported three COVID deaths, raising its death toll from 757 to 760.
The agency also said Lagos reported 35 cases on Tuesday while Ondo has 23.
Others are Edo-94, FCT-80,Kaduna – 48, Kano (21), Rivers (20), Kwara (20), Ogun (18), Plateau (12), Abia (8), Cross River (8), Ekiti (6), and Bauchi (3).
The NCDC noted that the pandemic has claimed 3,027 lives across the country since the outbreak in 2020.
It added that Nigeria now has 239,010 COVID-19 cases.
The NCDC stated that 213,180 have so far been treated and discharged.
The agency said that as of Tuesday , the number of active cases in the country increased to 22, 803, from 22,586 on Monday.
The NCDC said that 3,823,309 people have been tested for the virus.
It added that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre, activated at Level II, continues to coordinate the national response activities. NAN
Source: dailyasset.ng
