COVID-19: Why clubs, night bars remain closed -FG

Despite the opening of many segments of the economy, the Federal Government has said that it retained the closure of night bars and clubs to prevent escalation of cases of COVID-19 in the country.

The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, said this on Thursday at the joint national briefing of the taskforce.

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Asked why night clubs and bars should remain closed, Aliyu said, “I have nothing against night clubs, not that I drink but don’t see anything wrong with people going to bars and night clubs.

“However, the nature of the environment is an enclosed space, there are no windows, people are standing very close to each other. We are yet to have a mask that people can drink without taking mask off. So you are at a great risk of transmission.

“Globally, when the number starts surging look at the news, the first thing they say is that bars are closed. So that is why we are being careful, the national response that we have had in this country has been very calibrated.

“We have looked at every single risk and then take a decision. For every decision we take are not easy, there are negotiations, arguments among others. But bars and night clubs remain closed for very good reasons,” Aliyu said.

According to him, at a point in time that the government is sure and confident that there is the right time to relax further, other areas will be opened up.

Be said, “So, for those who love night clubs please be a bit patient with us eventually hopefully, things will get back to normal.”

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and chairman of PTF, Boss Mustapha, also speaking on the same issue said, “We have nothing against night clubs, bars, lounges but you know the nature of those places. For obvious reasons, they are constructed in such a manner for effectiveness of either the lighting or the music.

“So it is always very compact. And the beauty about it is that you must be dancing and jumping shoulder to shoulder. That is the most dangerous place to be without a face mask. Like Dr. Sani said, we have not gotten to a point where you have created mask with false enclosure so that you can drink without taking off your mask or you can share in entertainment without making noise. So what’s the point of opening a night club and people are sitting with mask.

“So we are not opposed to the leisure and entertainment industry, we want to get to this new normal as quickly as possible so that we can return to our ordinary ways of life.”

He quoted the former US CDC director, who said vaccines is important and effective thing that is desired to have as soon as possible but the other complimentary measures if not combined with vaccines the effectiveness of vaccine will not be there.

“And the measures are observing the COVID-19 protocols – wearing of mask, washing of hands and using hand sanitizers,” Mustapha said.

He said that the likelihood of vaccine coming in the next six months is becoming questionable and hence the need to take steps to ensure the processes of the community transmission stage is limited.