The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has called on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Malam Muhammad Bello to reactivate COVID-19 Protocols Enforcement Task Team to stop its violation in Abuja.
Its National Coordinator, Dr. Sani Aliyu, gave the advice during an Emergency FCT COVID-19 Stakeholders Review Meeting yesterday in the nation’s capital.
The meeting was necessitated by the increased in number of confirmed cases in the territory, which has gotten many worried.
Aliyu emphasised the need for aggressive enforcement of COVID-19 guidelines that would come with clear penalties.
He insisted that mass gathering should be restricted to 50 persons, preferably outdoors and they must be wearing facemasks.
He noted that the PTF only recommended that restaurants should be allowed to operate outdoors, lamenting that restaurants have opened indoors.
“This has to be enforce, they can provide takeaways otherwise they should close for the Christmas period because it is an area that attracts people for mass gathering.
“Our aimed is to stop the super spider event over the next six weeks. My recommendation is that all the sites that are currently serving as attractive points for mass gathering should be close for the next six weeks to takeout the Christmas rise in case.
“There should be inspection team going round Abuja to monitor and ensure compliance. Any business premises or markets found accepting people without wearing of facemasks and allow people to mix anyhow, those premises should be close.
“The same apply to shopping centres, the same applies to motor-parks and other commercial premises,” Aliyu said.