The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has appealed to banks in the country to continue to give skeletal services to Nigerians as the fight against the pandemic disease continues.
It also enjoined moslems not to shirk in adhering to all the preventive measures against the virus as Ramadan fasting commences.
National Coordinator of the PTF Dr Sani Aliyu made the appeals during the daily media briefing by the task force in Abuja on Tuesday.
Aliyu explained that the reason for the extension of the lockdown announced by President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday was to help Nigeria interrupt further spread of COVID-19 in the country.
The National Coordinator, who was responding to concern by reporters that Nigerians were complaining of the closure of banks to customers, recalled that there was an exemption for banks to provide skeletal services.
He, therefore, appealed to the banks to start addressing the worries.
His words: ”When we implemented the cessation of movement policy two weeks ago, we did make an exemption for banks to be allowed to engage in skeletal services and following that, the financial authorities released additional guidelines to the banks.
“We are appealing to the banks to please continue to provide financial services, especially the availability of cash in their ATMs and skeletal services within the banking halls.
“What is important for us is for banks to comply with our advice, in terms of reducing mass gatherings, having hands disinfectants at their entrance points, monitoring of temperature and making sure that their customers observe the physical distancing measures that we have advised.”
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