The Federal Government said that it has not thought about requiring COVID-19 testing or putting restrictions on people from China until there is a reason to do so.
However, the administration acknowledged that there remained a chance of another viral outbreak in Nigeria. As a result, it advised Nigerians to get immunized.
This information was provided to one of our journalists in Abuja on Thursday by Dr. Muktar Muhammad, the Coordinator of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19.
However, virologists warned that the virus could resurface in the country.
Following Beijing’s announcement that it will lift limitations on international travel, there are claims that nations are requiring COVID-19 testing and placing restrictions on travellers from China.
Also, reports say that the number of COVID-19 cases has gone up. Each day, the country reports about 5,000 cases, which researchers say are underreported.
Even while the government only acknowledges a small number of additional COVID-19 deaths each year, media reports show that many hospitals and funeral homes in China are already understaffed due to the virus’s increasing situation.
Reports also say that China is having trouble keeping up with the demand for funerals and cremations.
The United States’ decision to test all visitors from China for COVID-19 was based on the fact that China did not have “sufficient and transparent” COVID data.
Along with the US, an increasing number of nations are placing restrictions on visitors from China in response to the COVID-19 spike. These nations include Italy, Japan, Taiwan, and India.
In a statement, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization, stated, “We continue to urge China to disclose the data and carry out the investigations we have requested and which we continue to require.” All theories on the causes of this pandemic are still up for discussion, as I have stated numerous times previously.
“At the same time, WHO is extremely concerned about the changing situation in China, where reports of serious illness are on the rise.”
“The WHO requires more specific data on illness severity, hospital admissions, and needs for critical care unit support in order to conduct a thorough risk assessment of the situation on the ground.”
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The WHO continues to offer its assistance for clinical treatment and safeguarding China’s health system while encouraging the government to concentrate its efforts on immunising those who are most at risk across the nation.
Muhammad, the coordinator and technical head of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19, stated that at this time, there are no required tests being administered to visitors from China.
He says that it was inevitable that COVID-19 cases would rise in China after the decision to loosen the strict rules that had kept the virus at bay.
Muhammed stated in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH on Thursday that “what is occurring in China is pretty foreseeable because they are implementing what is known as the Europe COVID-19 strategy, and when you do that, suddenly you relax that the number of instances is going to rise.” China has nearly one-fourth of the world’s population; therefore, if its borders are opened and people start leaving, there is a good probability that they will export COVID-19. Similar circumstances previously involved Europe, which was selling COVID-19 to many regions of the world.
“So, we’re keeping an eye on everything.” We advise people to keep up with their vaccinations because doing so ensures that even if they contract the illness, they are less likely to need hospitalisation or pass away from COVID-19. We are keeping an eye on the issue to determine how to best defend Nigerians.
“We recently relaxed our COVID-19 protocols, and that was due to so much pressure on us.” We don’t copy because some other countries are doing something different, and we knew by December that cases were going to rise. The good news is that there are no new variants, and we have not noticed a significant change.
“We are aware that the US is imposing this ban on China and that some other nations, including India, are also doing the same.” The UK might take action at any time in the future, but we will consider the facts, let the numbers speak for themselves, and let empirical evidence guide any decisions we make.
People should continue to fill out the health declaration form before entering the nation, and if you are aware of any symptoms, you should notify them so that you can be subjected to additional screening. In the meantime, we must maintain our vigilance.
