Coronavirus: Reps ban entry of visitors to National Assembly, open gathering for worship

The House of Representatives has resolved to ban entry of visitors to the premises of the National Assembly.

This was sequel to a motion of urgent national importance moved by Mukhtar Chawai (Kaduna, APC) on Wednesday during plenary.

The motion was originally on the need to ban entry into Nigeria from countries badly hit by Coronavirus but was overtaken by events.

The House, however, decided to move for amendments of the motion.

The federal government on Wednesday morning announced the restrictions of entry into the country for travellers from 13 high-risk Covid-19 countries.

The countries are China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Japan, France, Germany, United States of America, Norway, United Kingdom, Netherlands & Switzerland.

Each of the countries has over 1,000 cases of the disease, according to the Presidential Task Force on COVID19 which released a statement Wednesday morning.

While adopting the amendments, the lawmakers resolved to stop all open worship and public gatherings in the country as it refuses to shut down schools in an attempt to curtail the possible spread of coronavirus in the county.

While resolving to restrict movement and shut out visitors from accessing the national assembly, the lawmakers resolved that infrared thermometers will be put in place to check staff and members of both chambers.

They also agreed that the country should sign an agreement with countries producing test kits and the necessary equipment to manage the virus.

COVID-19

Nigeria is one of the six African countries that have reported at least a case of Coronavirus on the continent.

Nigeria recorded its first case of Coronavirus on February 27, in an Italian businessman who had flown into the country for business.

The man had spent two days within the country and visited Lagos and Ogun state before he fell ill and was diagnosed of COVID-19.

The country recorded five new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, bringing to eight the total number of confirmed cases in the country.

All five cases have travel histories to the U.K. and the U.S.

Of the cases, four were detected from people who flew into the country and one from an American who had entered into the country through the land borders.

So far, nobody has died from the disease in Nigeria and one of the initial three cases has completely recovered.