The Nigeria government has decided to extend a ban on all flights by four weeks as part of measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, reported Reuters. The extension is the second since March 23 when the Nigerian government suspended all of its commercial flights.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, said the federal government decided to extend the flight ban after due consultation.
“We have assessed the situation in the aviation industry and have come to the conclusion that given the facts available to us and based on the advice of experts, the ban on all flights will be extended for an additional four weeks,” Mustapha told reporters at a regular briefing of a presidential task force on coronavirus in the capital, Abuja.
Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika said before restarting the flights, there was a need to train airline staff in safety measures to be undertaken.
Nigeria has reported 2,950 confirmed cases and 98 deaths. The Nigeria Center for Disease Control announced on Wednesday that the country has recorded 3,145 case of COVID-19 with 103 deaths.
Despite an increase in the number of coronavirus cases, the government went on to ease the lockdown restrictions in Lagos, the country’s commercial hub, and the capital, Abuja, since Monday.
Mustapha said early accessing of the eased restrictions has found that Nigerians are underestimating the nature of the disease. He said non-compliance with social distancing measures and the sharing of face masks are taking a toll on the government’s efforts to contain the coronavirus.
He appealed to Nigerians to comply with the guidelines of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“As we continue to push the frontiers of risk communication, I wish to appeal to all Nigerians to be vigilant and desist from taking undue risks,” Mustapha said.
