The Presidential Task Force on Control of COVID-19 Tuesday warned Nigerians to desist from sharing or recycling face masks to avoid rapid spread of the disease.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and chairman of the Presidential Task Force, Mr Boss Mustapha, said sharing or recycling masks undermines the fight against COVID-19.
He said Nigerians must appreciate the fact that it is very risky to share masks as the Coronavirus is capable of remaining on surfaces for several hours and one could get infected.
He said every disposable used mask should be considered as hazardous medical waste and should be disposed by burning.
“Particularly, the PTF has become aware of the on-going practice of sharing masks and picking of masks for recycling from dump sites.
“This places a lot of responsibilities on all of us to be self-educated and to educate others. The following points are emphasized with the exception of fabric masks, every disposable used mask is ahazardous medical waste and should be disposed of properly, preferably by burning; It is very risky to share masks as the virus is capable of remaining on surfaces for several hours and you could get infected; the unhealthy practice of picking up disposed masks for whatever purpose is harmful to both the individual picking it and whoever procures it later.
“Particularly, it will be helpful for high risk people such as the elderly and those with comorbidities, to wear masks or face covering and avoid crowded places. As we reminded you earlier, please keep grandchildren away from their grandparents to avoid any transmission. Most importantly, emphatically say no to stigmatization,” he said.
He said the world was in the midst of a dangerous pandemic and one key solution to it was collaboration and partnership.
“The power and benefits of partnerships have been vividly demonstrated in the Jack ma support, the UN One Basket Fund, the interface with Other nations, the intervention by individuals and corporate citizens within and outside Nigeria,” he said.
He said one lesson stakeholders in Nigeria cannot afford to ignore was the need to strengthen healthcare infrastructure.
He said government does not pretend that it can handle all the challenges in the health sector alone.
“As we continue to learn the lessons from COVID-19 by fortifying our health systems and infrastructure against present and future pandemics, I wish to remind Nigerians that there is still a lot to be done and investment to make.
“The PTF mentioned at the briefing on Monday 11th May, 2020 that it had commenced focus on community ownership, guidance, acceptance and implementation in the control of COVID-19.
“This certainly requires a great deal of investment in strengthening our primary health care system, the manpower and the infrastructure. I therefore call on other corporate citizens and public-spirited individuals to play significant roles by injecting the much-needed investment into the rural health infrastructure. Given the impact of the COVID-19 on global economy and our national income, it has become obvious that government alone cannot bear this burden,” he said.
