COVID-19: FCT residents urge FG to build adequate isolation, screening centres

Some residents in the Federal Capital Territory  (FCT) have called on the Federal Government, to take proactive measure against the spread of Coronavirus and build isolation and testing centres in the six Area Councils.

The residents who made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, said adequate measures if put in place would stop the spread of the virus.

Mr Abraham Gado, the resident of Gwagwalada area, said isolation and testing centres should be erected at strategic locations in FCT, where suspected cases could be diagnosed and properly treated.

Gado said:  “There is a need for the government to build adequate isolation and testing centres at strategic locations in the FCT to prevent the spread of the virus.

“There is also need for proper sensitisation especially at the rural communities as part of proactive measures in preventing the spread,” he said.

A resident of Abaji Area Council, Mrs Sarah Kaka, said the government was doing its best to stop the spread of the virus, adding that, collective action by all citizens was required to win the fight.

Kaka cautioned residents of the FCT against open defecation to ensure a cleaner and healthier society.

“As the country records more cases of the disease, it has become imperative for the government to intensify contact tracing to identify those who may have been in contact with the confirmed cases.

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”They should heighten screening at all entries into Nigeria and adapt the protocols to reflect the travel guidance issued by the Presidential Task Force on the Control of coronavirus (covid-19),” she said.

Mr Joseph Gaji, another resident of Kuje Area Council, said there was the need for the government to set up an intensive national risk communications campaign to inform Nigerians about COVID-19.

However, Gaji called on the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to take the advocacy for the prevention of coronavirus disease to the grassroots.

He said grassroots awareness would go a long way in educating rural communities on COVID-19, help in the dissemination of accurate information on the deadly virus and other communicable diseases.

”There is need for NOA to sensitise the rural communities as part of proactive measures in preventing the spread of Coronavirus at the grassroots.

“The grassroots should be adequately sensitised and prepared to prevent the spread of this dangerous and highly contagious virus,” Gaji said.

NAN reports that the Federal Government had on Friday, restricted travel from 15 countries with high Coronavirus cases.

The affected countries were; China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, Spain, Japan, France, Germany, United States of America, Norway, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria and Sweden.

The minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, on Saturday, confirmed new cases in the Federal Capital Territory and Lagos State.

Ehanire said the three cases in the FCT were being treated at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) Gwagwalada while the 7 (seven) new cases in Lagos were being treated at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) Yaba.

NAN

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE