Nigeria advises regions to limit public gatherings amid COVID-19 spike

ABUJA, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Nigeria is advising its
sub-regions to limit public gatherings, close bars and night
clubs over the next five weeks amid a spike in new COVID-19
cases, a government coronavirus task force said on Monday.
Africa's most populous nation could be on the verge of a
second wave of the novel coronavirus with the number of
confirmed cases rising within communities over the last few
weeks. Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital, Abuja and northern
state of Kaduna have emerged as new epicenters with over 70% of
confirmed cases, said Boss Mustapha, chairman of the
presidential task force for COVID-19, who is the country's most
senior civil servant.
The proportion of positive tests for the virus has increased
since the second week of December, linking the spread to large
gatherings and poor compliance with face mask, he added.
The statement advised states to limit meeting capacity of
churches and mosques while pubs and event centers should be
closed. The regions should enforce face mask use in public.
Nigeria, runs a federal system of government and local
governments have the legal structure and enforcement to manage
the pandemic within their jurisdictions, the statement said.
Lagos has ordered schools to shut indefinitely and banned
concerts, carnivals and street parties and asked certain civil
servants to work from home amid a spike in new COVID-19
cases. The statement said the government was discussing restricting
international travels to countries where a new strain of the
coronavirus had been discovered.