COVID-19: NCDC to announce stance on face masks this week

The Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, has said the agency will roll out a policy on face masks this week.

Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu said this on Monday in Abuja during a briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

According to Dr Ihekweazu, the NCDC is almost done with the face mask policy but the draft is still being looked at by the agency.

“Last week, I did say we would release a policy on face masks. That policy has almost been completed,” the NCDC boss explained.

“In fact, the draft is now being looked at by various (his) colleagues to make sure that we are all alive. By tomorrow or next, we would be releasing that policy for all of us to align with.”

He also revealed that thirty percent of the cases in the country were discovered via contact tracing.

Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, has explained the role of the Chinese health experts expected to arrive in Nigeria.

Mustapha, who is the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, noted that the experts were expected in the country on the invitation of a Chinese company, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC).

He said this during the press briefing of the committee on Monday in Abuja, and stressed that the development was to complement the efforts of the Nigerian government to curtail the spread of coronavirus just like other nations around the world were doing.

“I wish to clarify that all the countries of the world are seeking assistance and are receiving help in the fight against COVID-19 – even the almighty United States is looking for help elsewhere,” he said.

“The support coming from China is a cooperate social responsibility initiated by CCECC, a company with a total volume of infrastructural contracts in Nigeria worth over N10 billion.” (Channels TV)