COVID-19 epicentre shifting ― PTF

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 pandemic has warned that the epicentre of the virus is shifting even as the number of fatalities and confirmed infections is declining in the country.

Chairman of the task force and Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, stated this on Thursday at its briefing in Abuja, saying that the strategic objective remains the testing of samples in high numbers across the entire nation.

He said: “As we enter the last week of this extended eased lock-down phase, and note the impressively declining fatality ratio and reduction of confirmed cases, the PTF would also like to draw our attention to a subtle change in epi-centre of the virus.

“We all recall that Lagos, Kano and Ogun states were the initial epi-centres and this to Oyo at a time, and now Plateau state. As mentioned by the Lagos State Commissioner of Health and a notable COVID-19 warrior, Professor Akin Abayomi, Lagos has passed its peak but we call for vigilance and cautious optimism because the scourge is not over yet.

“Our strategic objective still remains, to test samples in high numbers across the entire nation.”

The PTF, therefore, re-emphasized its call the citizenry to take responsibility by complying with all guidelines and non-pharmaceutical measures, including wearing of masks properly, maintaining social distances, avoiding large gatherings, maintaining regular hygienic practices and most important staying at home for the most vulnerable.

“As we keep to these simple protocols, our individual and collective efforts at balancing lives and livelihoods would achieve its intended benefits, especially now that we have opened a lot of sectors and opening more sectors,” Mustapha stated.

He drew attention to the recently released National Bureau of Statistics the Q2 2020 performance of the economic indicators, which showed that the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) slumped to -6.10% due to the impact of the COVID-19 on the oil market.

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He noted that this underscores the impact of the pandemic on the global economy, adding that the pandemic also presents the country with opportunities and impetus for innovation, creativity and industrial development.

He added: “For existing businesses of different sizes, we wish to remind you that government has approved an Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) containing stimulus packages for businesses to access.

“As we prepare to reopen the international airspace, therefore, we are optimistic that the economy will continue to improve along the value chain, as goods, services and passengers move across borders.

“The aviation sector, no doubt, provides a window to the world and a shutdown of twenty-three straight weeks obviously impacted negatively on the economy.”

Mustapha thanked the increasing number of discharged persons who have been sharing their experiences, the print and electronic media that have been supporting our Risk Communication and Community Engagement strategies as well as the numerous partners that are sustaining the messaging.

In his remark, the National Coordinator of the PTF, Dr Sani Aliyu, stressed the importance of adhering to non-pharmaceutical interventions, as he expressed displeasure at “an overwhelming non-compliance with the non-pharmaceutical interventions that we have put in place.”

He observed: “People people in public spaces are not wearing face masks, even if they do, they are not wearing them properly.

“This no doubt is endangering many lives and challenging the effort of the PTF in mitigating the pandemic in Nigeria.

“We know that scientific data has shown conclusively that if you really want to fight COVID-19 you need to have these dimensions in place such as wearing a mask, physical distancing avoiding mass gatherings. They are a highly efficient form of prevention.

“When people ask me when is a vaccine going to be available, I tell them there’s already a vaccine and It’s right there with you in your hands and that vaccine is the simple non-pharmaceutical interventions.”

He appealed to businesses and corporate institutions to take responsibility by strictly enforcing the “no mask no entry, no mask no service rule” in order to curb the spread of COVID-19.

“We encourage people to walk safely. We encourage managers to ensure that their staff working safely in an environment free of COVID-19. We are appealing to private and public sector institutions to inculcate safer working habits, which still allows for work productvity such as virtual meetings remote working doorstep deliveries the use of online platforms,” Dr Aliyu added.

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