Lagos authorities threaten harsh measures over Covid

Authorities in Nigeria’s commercial hub Lagos have threatened harsh measures against defaulters of Covid guidelines. 

This comes after the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) confirmed the presence of the most transmissible Delta variant of Covid-19 in the country. 

There are reports of a rise in new cases amid fears of an emerging third wave.

The governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said in a statement that the sanctions could include revocation of permanent residency for foreigners and prosecution of Nigerians identified to have failed to abide by the protocol. 

He noted that the number of people being admitted into isolation centres had started to rise - and expressed concern that some people who had come from outside the country did not include proper contact details, making it difficult to trace their contacts.

Nigeria appears to be gearing up for imminent third wave of the pandemic.

The country has only tested over 1.4 million samples and vaccinated nearly four million people, out of a population of about 200 million people.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

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