Activate measures to prevent spread of Omicron COVID variant, reps tell FG

The house of representatives has asked the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to activate measures to prevent the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant in Nigeria.

The lower legislative chamber passed the motion during a plenary session on Tuesday following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Dachung Bagos, a lawmaker from Plateau state.

The index case of Omicron COVID-19 variant said to be highly infectious, was detected in South Africa on November 23, and is spreading rapidly globally.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Omicron is a “variant of concern” and asked global leaders to take action to contain its spread.

Amid measures to prevent the spread of the variant, some countries have proposed a travel ban on African nations, including Nigeria.

Leading the debate on the motion, Bagos said people who contracted COVID-19 can be reinfected because Omicron is a highly infectious variant.

He said because of Nigeria’s high population, the federal government must activate measures to contain the spread of the variant in the country.

Contributing to the motion, Nwawuba Ndochukwu, from Imo state, said the federal government need to be proactive in tackling the spread of the new variant and not wait for other countries to take measures that will affect Nigeria.

While lamenting that most Nigerians have refused to be vaccinated, the lawmaker said the government need to implement measures else people from South Africa who intend to travel abroad will pass through Nigeria.