Covid-19: FG Orders 10m Doses Of Vaccines, Extends Eased Lockdown By 1 Month

The Federal Government had announced yesterday that it has placed an order for 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, regretting that the 100, 000 doses which was initially scheduled to receive this month is no longer feasible.

Explaining that the 100,000 doses would now be received next month, government also announced the extension of the Phase Three of the Eased Lockdown by one month.

At a media interface in Abuja, Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce PTF on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Boss Mustapha, further added that Nigerian Scientists have been sequencing the variants of the COVID-19 virus.

According to Mustapha, there have been reports of cases with the B117 variant strain, which was earlier reported in the United Kingdom, found in Nigeria.

Three of the infected persons were in-travelers out of Nigeria, and one is a resident.

Mustapha reported that in the last one week, Nigeria conducted 58, 974 tests and recorded 11, 179 cases with 62 deaths.

He said the management of these cases was gradually improving with the availability and provision of medical oxygen, even as he said government was also fast tracking the rehabilitation of existing plants and construction of new ones as approved by the President.

In his words; “The PTF is improving on the International Travel Portal to minimize the challenges passengers keep encountering.

“Similarly, it is reviewing the guidelines on the implementation of phase three of the eased lockdown which is due to expire today (Monday). In view of the fact that our numbers are not abating, all extant measures prescribed in these guidelines are (subject to some modifications) extended by a period of one month with effect from Tuesday 26th January, 2020”.

He further announced that the 100,000 doses which was requested by the Federal Government is due to arrive in the early weeks of February.

“We wish to assure all Nigerians that the vaccines will be safe and effective when eventually it is deployed. We enjoin everyone to join in the campaign to eliminate vaccine hesitance.

“I have to however advise all Nigerians that the only source of vaccines that is safe and effective in Nigeria is through the channels of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). Please do not patronize any one hawking or marketing vaccines”, the SGF warned. Mustapha further stated that Nigeria was currently working with the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the deportation of 600 Nigerians, explaining that the deportees were expected to arrive in two batches on the 28th and 29th January, 2021.“