The Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 is urging top officials and captains of industries in Nigeria to comply with the rules of testing for the novel Coronavirus pandemic.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Task Force, Mr. Boss Mustapha said this during Thursday’s press briefing in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja.
“We are in difficult times and these difficult times require tough decisions and we will continue to update you and give you basic information that will help in mobilizing Nigerians and putting them on the trajectory of realizing that we are the only people that can safeguard ourselves and also do all possible within our means to ensure that we curtail or flatten the curve of this pandemic”, the Chairman said.
Mr. Mustapha noting with concern that COVID-19 is a potential danger to all of humanity and threatens Nigeria’s economy and national security, said actions taken by the Task Force should be seen as efforts to safeguard the well-being of Nigerians and not punitive.
Nigeria’s Minister for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, also a member of the task force, said his Ministry has intensified contact tracing and testing capacity and this could influence a rise in the number of confirmed cases in the country.
” As contact tracing and testing capacity are being ramped up, more and more cases will be found and the number of new confirmed cases of the COVID-19 is expected to rise initially. Therefore, it’s advisable that all travelers suspend all non-residential travels whether by air or by land, whether national or international.”
” … Nigerians are advised to remain in their places where they are resident, and to stay safe and to obey the rules and regulations that are provided except if they are returning home from a previously arranged journey or from a business trip or a vacation”.
” all facilities where isolation and treatment of Corona Virus are to be conducted will be inspected before accreditation by a team of experts that have been put together. The office of the National Security Adviser will also be represented due to the national security implications”, Dr. Ehanire explained
Also at the briefing, the Director-General, National Center for Disease Control, NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu said that the Centre had recorded the highest number of tests carried out and the largest number of positive cases in the last 24hours. This he attributes to the swift action and support of the Rapid Response team.
” We currently have 15 Rapid Response teams supporting 15 States. It’s the largest deployment of public health resources for an outbreak ever in our country.
” Unlike other outbreaks that were localized, even the Ebola outbreak was still in Lagos and Port Harcourt. This time, every day we add a new state, every single day we have to deploy a new team. It requires resources, people, logistics, efforts.
“This is a significant exercise and we are assuring every state that we will continue to do everything necessary to support them to respond to these events that are unfolding in our country,” the NCDC Boss said.
Source: VON
