Visitors will no longer have access to the presidential villa without first undertaken a COVID-19 rapid test.
According to The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the new development is not strange, saying the same measures apply in government offices in other countries.
According to him, every visitor including state governors are required to take the COVID-19 rapid test before entry into the presidential villa.
“ test kits which are issued for free at the gate, is a temporary measure against the backdrop of the recent spike in the number of cases of the COVID-19 virus in the country.”
“Yes, a new regime of COVID-19 regulation has been put in place for all visitors to the Villa, not for Governors alone.”
“Every visitor to the Villa, not just those seeing the president, is now required to do a rapid test at the gate.”
“The kits are freely issued so no one is required to make payment. This is purely temporary in view of the recent spike in cases and will be removed any moment the situation abates. It’s a growing practice in government offices in many countries.”
“Although some exceptions have been made for a few leaders in government coming from outside the Villa, they too are encouraged to do those tests.”
“This policy has rightfully been justified following the discovery of COVID-19 positivity in some of those tested since the last few days of the practice,”.
Some presidential aides to the President; Muhammadu Buhari were said to have tested positive for the virus creating wide spread unease across Abuja the Seat of power.
Shehu himself having caught COVID announced last week that he tested positive and immediately isolated himself. He later announced in a Facebook post that he has recovered from the virus. He is not the only one caught up by the virus;, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mohammed Bello in a statement he personally signed on Friday announced that he too has tested positive for COVID-19.
Director-General of NCDC, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa in December said Nigeria has recorded a 500% increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks across the country caused by the Delta and Omicron variants which are quickly causing upheavals world over.
(C) ControlTV 2022.
