By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
As Nigeria’s COVID -19 surges to 46,577, Chairman of the Presidential Task Force, PTF, Boss Mustapha today disclosed that it will adopt risk Communication and community engagement to intensify the level of awareness creation and compliance of the pandemic to the wider population.
Mustapha gave this hint during the COVID-19 press briefing in Abuja today.
He said that this measure was necessary because of the surging cases of the virus in the country.
He said, ” The PTF will also be looking closely at the issue of Risk Communication and Community Engagement. Messaging and consultations shall be intensified to drive the level of awareness and compliance to the wider population using mediums and platforms that are most effective generally and specifically.”
Mustapha who announced government’s new direction of further easing the lockdown in the National Response to the COVID-19 pandemic added that the PTF will engage in continual monitoring of global and national science and data as a way for strengthening efforts to contain the virus.
He said, ” Nigeria, with 46,577 confirmed cases and 945 cumulative deaths, remains respectively the third and fourth highest in these parameters but it is yet to reach the peak of the pandemic.
Today, the global numbers of confirmed cases surpassed 20 million and 750,000 deaths. These statistics remain serious warning signals accompanied with pains and anguish to families and friends that have lost loved ones.
7.Africa’s confirmed cases have surpassed one million mark which is a landmark, Mustapha said.
Meanwhile Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire in his brief announced that Nigeria has recorded 46,577 cases from 317,496 samples tested so far, while 33,186 persons have been treated and discharged.
The minister lamented that the nation has lost 945 persons to the COVID-19 infection, which has now been identified in 549 of our 774 Local government areas half of all cases which so far are concentrated in 20 Local Government areas.
Ehanire advised Nigerians that in the absence of vaccine the option is for people to adhere to the non-pharmaceutical measures that are proven to be cheap and effective, such as the appropriate use of face masks, physical distancing and avoiding crowds.
If we do not adhere, there could be regrets. The urgency is accentuated by the need to prepare for societal changes that will arise as the economy reopens with increased transportation, trade and human interaction, including possible reopening of air travel, he said.
The minister said that government’s focus is to have a 1per cent reduction of COVID-19 ,with preventive measures and also a strategy that encourages citizens to report early for treatment and for hospitals to attend to all patients in distress and ; most importantly to be able to provide oxygen treatment.
The main covid19 symptoms include breathlessness, which responds well to oxygen supplementation as first measure, he stated
