…Shifts attention to Kano, Osun, others
The federal government said Tuesday that it has approved the distribution of medical equipment and consumables that had been piled up by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force, Mr Boss Mustapha, who disclosed this during the daily press briefing in Abuja, said the distribution was part of the national response to stem the spread of the novel Coronavirus in the country.
“I am pleased to inform you that as part of the support to the states, the PTF has approved the distribution plans for medical equipment and consumables available in stock to the states. The physical distribution shall commence immediately. This will be in addition to the Jack Ma equipment and materials already shared to the states.
“While the PTF continues to assess the impact of the lockdown preparatory to the submission of a Report to Mr. President, we have observed general compliance with the restrictions.
“However, much more work shall be required in the creation of awareness among the people and securing the buy-in of stakeholders. I find it necessary to remind us all that this COVID-19 pandemic is not a joke and it is a global pandemic. I therefore renew the appeal of the PTF to all Nigerians to view it as such and comply with all advisories and directives in the interest of humanity.
“Let me once again thank the Media for the tremendous support we continue to receive. I thank the selflessness of our frontline health workers for their professionalism and hard work,” he said.
He said state governments, under the strict supervision of the governors, have made the required emergency arrangements to meet outbreaks of the disease in their domains.
He said the federal government is now focused on Kano, Osun Oyo and Edo states that have recently received highest impacts.
“The reports coming out of our continuing collaboration with the states indicate the following: governors have been at the head of the response which is encouraging; the State Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) and their treatment centres are in place; there are improved levels of preparedness and response activities- focusing more on strengthening current capacity where they exist over building new structures.
“There is obvious need to support the states in strengthening coordination across board; more guidance should be provided in the area of non-pharmaceutical interventions; particular attention is to be focused on some states with heavy burden, particularly, Kano; and priority is being placed on Intensive state level support,” he said.
Also speaking about the rising numbers of confirmed cases in Kano, Osun, Oyo and Edo states, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force, Dr Sani Aliyu, said the government was working closely with the governors of the affected states.
He said as testing continues to improve in number, there would also be an increase in the number of confirmed cases.
“We do note the concerns about increased report of cases, we are closely monitoring Kano, Osun, Oyo and Edo. We noted the particular concern with Kano and we have engaged closely with the state government.
“Because we are increasing the number of tests as we ramp up, there is the possibility that we’ll continue to have more and more cases coming in,” he said.
He stressed the need for Nigerians to continue to comply with the lockdown policy, particularly for those residing in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), Lagos and Ogun states.
