Covid: Nigeria Has No Plans to Enforce Another Lockdown, Health Minister Ehanire Says

The Nigerian government says there are no plans to enforce another lockdown as the country records a spike in Covid-19 cases.

The country’s Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire told journalists at the weekly state house briefing that Nigeria is currently battling a third wave of the coronavirus following the emergence of the Delta variant.

Despite battling a third wave, Mr Ehanire said the country has not reached a threat level that will lead to another lockdown, which if imposed, poses a great threat to business activities in the country.

“We are not at a level yet where we are feeling that threat to do any lockdown but I tell you many countries are not doing generalised lockdown but precision lockdown,” Mr Ehanire said at the Thursday briefing.

“As I speak to you now, there are several countries who are on one kind of lockdown or the other, at least if my recollection is correct, six or seven countries are on one form of lockdown or the other. We do not have that on the table right now.”

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had on Wednesday confirmed 790 new covid cases across 12 states and the federal capital territory (FCT) – the highest single-day count in over six months.

By Abel Ejikeme

Follow us on: