The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha has said that the PTF has authorised the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to immediately implement the 450 tests per Local Government Area (LGAs) plan, nationwide.
“The PTF has also authorized the NCDC to immediately implement the 450 tests per LGA plan, nationwide, immediately. We are aware that states are not on the same pedestal in the area of testing and we shall begin with States that are in the forefront of resourcing and infrastructure,” Mustapha said.
He said that the PTF had been informed of the schools’ resumption nationwide and that this would be reviewed due to rising daily numbers of infections and the challenges of case management especially the shortage of oxygen.
“While we note that several states have proceeded with the resumption of schools, the PTF recommends strongly that very strict adherence to Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) should be enforced by the states to avoid the escalation of cases.
“The PTF will continue to dialogue with the governors and the Federal Ministry of Education to closely monitor the situation,” Mustapha said.
According to him, the snapshot of the nation as at 17 January, 2021 which ought to guide the national decisions and approach stands at 110,387 cases; with active cases being 22,156 (20.34 percent); those discharged, 89,317 (78.36 percent); with 1,435 (1.30 percent) deaths while 1,172,234 have been tested so far.
“On the African Continent, South Africa and Nigeria continue to report highest daily count, while South Africa, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Algeria and Kenya account for 76 percent of all cases in the region. Nigeria has moved up to third position in highest cumulative case load but remains 2nd for new cases and 5th highest in cumulative deaths on the WHO African region.
“From the foregoing, testing has proven to have become more significant in our national response. The PTF still urges the state governments to enable their EOCs to step up on sample collection and to maximise the capacities of the PCR Laboratories already established in their states,” Mustapha said
