Nigeria not expecting upsurge in COVID-19 cases, deaths — FG

By ABUJAH RACHEAL

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, says the Federal Government is not expecting an upsurge of fatality in the fight against novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country.

Mustapha, who is also the Chairman, Presidential Task Force (PTF), made the remark on Monday in Abuja during PTF daily briefing on COVID-19 in the country.

The chairman said there was keen interest by the government to ensure it did everything possible to flatten the curve of the pandemic in the country.

He, however, stated that the nation was in a difficulty moment fighting an unseen enemy.

The SGF disclosed that the government had received medical consumables from the United Nations to fight the disease and they were about five tonnes.

Speaking also, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said that the figure of confirmed cases of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country would fluctuate as more testing will be conducted.

Ehanire, while speaking on use of face mask, said that it did not have to be a hospital graded masks or surgical masks.

The minister added that the purpose was to shield a person from another.

“If you are in a neighborhood where many people have tested positive, you are advised to go for testing,” he said.

On mobility, he stressed that for health workers who had to travel far away, the arrangement would be made by their hospital.

Dr. Sani Aliyu, Coordinator of PTF on COVID-19, said that testing was not recommended in the absence of symptoms because COVID-19 might not show during incubation time.

Aliyu said that there was no room for massive community testing for COVID-19 in the country as it would be inefficient and expensive.

“What we should be doing is improving efficiency of the targeting of the tests.

“We also do not recommend doing the test in the absence of symptoms,” he said.

He, however, argued that “physical distancing” is a much more apt and appropriate term than “social distancing.”

”Physical distances are what we actually need to be maintaining as much as is possible at this time.

Meanwhile, speaking of Gender Base Violence, Aliyu said that the government would continue to protect the victims of domestic violence not just during the COVID-19 lockdown but at all times.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to economic uncertainties, loss of jobs, increase in depression and more.

The incidences of domestic violence and sexual abuse rises as victims are forced to stay in the same location with abusers due to the lockdown.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged the government to help victims access support and voice out against injustice as well as end the violence against women and girls. (NAN)

• SGF Boss Mustapha

Nigeria confirms 20 new COVID-19 cases, total infections now 343

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced 20 new positive cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.

NCDC disclosed this in a tweet on Monday evening, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Nigeria to 343.

It said 13 new infections were discovered in Lagos and one in Ondo, while two cases were recorded in Edo, Kano, and Ogun States.

The health agency added that six more COVID-19 patients have been discharged, raising the total number of those that have recovered from coronavirus to 91.

Nigeria’s death toll from the disease stood at 10.

The tweet came two hours after President Muhammadu Buhari extended the lockdown order in Lagos and Ogun States, as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Amid the lockdown extension, Lagos has a total of 189 positive cases, while the FCT and Ogun have 56 and nine confirmed cases of coronavirus respectively.

Others are Osun – 20, Edo – 14, Oyo – 11, Bauchi – six, Kaduna – six, Akwa Ibom – five, Katsina – five, Kwara – four, Ondo – three, Delta – three, Kano – three, Enugu – two, Ekiti – two, Rivers – two, Benue – one, Niger – one, and Anambra – one. (Channels TV)

*PLS USE NCDC UPDATE

• Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State