The Interview Editors
The federal government is considering stopping inter-state travel as part of measures to curb the spread of coronavirus in the country which has infected more than 50 persons across nine states.
Minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, said this at a press conference on Thursday laying out the government’s strategy in combating the virus.
He said possible new measures may include “stopping by inter-state/inter-town travel, except for essential services, closing all motor parks and inter-state rail stations. Already, all train movements nationwide have been stopped.”
The minister said the government was doing its best but added that some Nigerians were not following the safety guidelines while others were deliberately flouting the rules to stay away from large gatherings.
Mohammed said, “Some Nigerians defied orders to stay away from large gatherings while some religious leaders willfully flouted the directives to ensure social distancing . I want to say straight away that our strategy at containing this pandemic is working, but we still have a long way to go.
“We know our priorities and our challenges. We have taken very bold measures in stopping international flights into the country, and we hail the state governments that have equally taken bold measures in their states, which include the closure markets and prohibition of large congregations.”
