Coronavirus scare: Reps ask FG to shutdown worship centres

The House of Representatives on Wednesday urged Federal Government to shut down worship centres over the ravaging coronavirus pandemic.

The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion of national public importance on ‘Covid-19 emergency travel regulation and further protocol’, sponsored by Honourable Muktar Chawai, who underscored the need to ban of all foreign flights coming into the country.

He stressed the need for sanctions, restrictions and regulations on travel policy in and out of Nigeria, along with the shut down of worship centres, noting that the WHO has declared coronavirus as worldwide pandemic.

While noting that the first Nigeria’s index was reported in February 2020, the NCDC and Federal and Lagos State agencies have made frantic efforts to contain the spread of the disease.

The lawmaker, who acknowledged the critical role played by Nigerian medical practitioners and National Orientation Agency in the area of public awareness, underscored the need for Nigeria to put necessary steps towards restricting travel into the country through land, air and sea borders, as well as initiate internal control mechanisms.

The lawmakers, who called for the roll-out of thorough measures to forestall the spread of the pandemic into Nigeria, kicked against calls to shut down schools in Nigeria.

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In a bid to safeguard the National Assembly, the House also directed lawmakers to henceforth stop receiving visitors pending when the deadly disease would be curtailed.

To this end, the House urged the Federal Government to sign an agreement with other countries to secure testing kits so as to manage the coronavirus.

In the same vein, the House urged the management of all public institutions at all levels to run temperature test.

The House also mandated the Minister of Health to ensure to brief the leadership of the House of Representatives weekly.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE