COVID-19: Guild of Medical Directors tasks government on extra vigilance

The Guild of Medical Directors (GMD), on Wednesday, called on the Federal Government to exercise added vigilance towards the control of COVID 19 epidemic.
The guild, in a statement issued by its President, Prof. Femi Dokun-Babalola, enjoined government to put in place travel restrictions on flights coming from COVID-19 hyper-endemic countries.
“In particular, it is our opinion that restrictions should be placed on flights coming from meso-endemic and hyper-endemic countries.
“This will include countries like China, South Korea, Europe in general and in particular, Italy, Spain, Norway and Sweden.
“Nigerians coming in from UK should all be tested beyond the usual temperature check, and advised to go on quarantine for 14 days at home, if negative.
“We suggest that Nigerians coming in from these countries should be quarantined for 14 days, as required by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“At the moment, several Europeans are streaming into the country only to embark on journey to the USA through Delta Airlines,” it said.
The statement added that more robust protocol should be introduced for the detection of cases, including random tests in households where foreign trips had just been completed.
“It is possible and even likely that more cases of COVID 19 may have entered our shores un-detected.
“Similar measures have been taken in Ghana, Sudan and South Africa, among other nations in Africa.
“We believe that these enhanced measures will go a long way in further protecting our people from the ravages of the COVID 19 epidemic.
“Nigeria cannot afford the epidemic to get a foothold in the country,” the statement quoted Dokun-Babalola as saying.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Ministry of Health, on Tuesday, confirmed another case of COVID 19 in the country.
NAN also reports that at the moment, over 190,000 persons have been infected worldwide, with over 6,000 recorded deaths.
No fewer than 300 of the infected cases are found in African countries, many of which are either returnees from countries with significant endemic cities or primary contacts of such returnees.