PSC Apathy as Morocco, Canada Ban China Travellers over COVID-19 Surge

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

There appears to be growing nonchalance by the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) to the surge of COVID-19 in China after Morocco and Canada announced restrictions on passengers arriving from China over fear of spreading the contagion in their country.

The PSC, which is saddled with providing guidelines and policy on controlling the spread of COVID-19 in the country, is headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha.

However, effort to get the National Incident Manager of PSC, Dr Mukhtar Muhammad, to comment on the latest development was futile as he refused to respond to THISDAY request.

Morocco at the weekend said from Tuesday, January 3, it would impose a ban on people arriving from China, whatever their nationality to avert any new wave of COVID-19 infections.

Canada and Australia have imposed restrictions on travellers from China due to a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Thousands of tourists visit Morocco from China every year, usually travelling on flights that come via the Gulf.

In an abrupt change of policy, China this month began dismantling the world’s strictest COVID-19 regime of lockdowns and extensive testing, putting its battered economy on course for a complete re-opening next year.

But the lifting of restrictions has led to COVID-19 spreading largely unchecked and likely infecting millions of people a day there, according to some international health experts.