The House of Representatives has passed a resolution urging the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, as well as relevant agencies, to intensify surveillance at all international borders and ports of entry to prevent the entrance of the new COVID-19 variant XEC.

The House noted that Nigeria is vulnerable to a potential outbreak of the virus, which has been reported in 43 countries worldwide.

This comes days after the Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Alaba Balogun, allayed fears of a supposed resurgence of COVID-19 in the country.

He also stated that there is no evidence of COVID-19 variant XEC in Nigeria while urging the public to remain calm, adhere to universal health precautions, and rely on verified information from official sources.

He said molecular laboratories, isolation centres, and intensive care units equipped with ventilators have been ramped up across Federal Tertiary Hospitals to mitigate potential risks.