Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has threatened to re-impose lockdown come January 2021 as the number of coronavirus rises in the state.

This comes a few days after the federal government debunked reports of planning for a fresh lockdown.

Peoples Gazette reported that the Minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed in a radio program said the government had reduced mass gathering by directing workers below level 12 to work from home as well as other COVID-19 protocols which include the already existing ban of night clubs.

But governor Wike in a church service on Sunday in Port Harcourt lamented that churches and trading places have refused to enforce the compulsory wearing of face masks.

Mr. Wike said he will announce new tight measures this week to check the spread of COVID19 in the state, saying some residents do not believe COVID-19 is real.

“So, it is real and I want to appeal to all of you that we have to be more strict now because the second wave is more dangerous than the first wave. It’s very, very dangerous. I know how many people we have lost since the second wave started”, Mr. Wike said.

Chairman to the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha in a press briefing said Nigeria is at risk of losing not only the gains from the hard works of the last nine months but also the lives of many Nigerians.

States like Lagos and Kaduna have since asked workers below level 14 to work from home to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

Nigeria Center for Disease Control on December 25, announced it recorded 829 new cases of COVID-19 in 15 States including Rivers.