COVID-19: FG places Kano, Osun, Oyo, Edo under watch

The Federal Government is closely monitoring Kano, Osun, Oyo and Edo states to discover more cases of coronavirus and curtail increasing community transmissions there. 

National Coordinator, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Sani Aliyu, said this in Abuja yesterday at the briefing of the PTF. “Because we’re increasing the number of tests, as we ramp up, there’s the possibility that we’ll continue to have more and more cases coming here. We do note the concern about increased reporting of cases, we’re closely monitoring Kano, Osun, Oyo and Edo. 

We note the particular concern with Kano and we’ve engaged closely with the state government,” he said. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and chairman of the task force, Boss Mustapha, urged Nigerians to continue to use face masks as an optional addition to the routine measures of physical distancing, avoiding mass gatherings and respiratory hygiene. Mustapha said particular attention would to be focused on some states with heavy burden, particularly Kano. 

He said priority was being placed on intensive state level support. He said the PTF had approved the distribution plans for medical equipment and consumables available in stock to the states. He said the physical distribution would commence immediately in addition to the Jack Ma equipment and materials already shared to the states. 

He said the lockdown and its subsequent extension was to slow down the spread of the virus by minimizing contacts and congregation of people and to enable government put in place necessary infrastructure, train personnel, take delivery and distribute essential equipment and materials in readiness for any eventuality. 

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, warned citizens to be wary of the ‘COVID-19 vaccine’ being hawked in Kano, saying it had not been certified by the appropriate authorities. He said a recent opinion poll had shown that 99 percent of Nigerians were aware of COVID-19 and that his ministry and its agencies had ramped up their public enlightenments.