The federal government hinted yesterday that it was considering targeted lockdown in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as well as Lagos and Plateau States.
National Incident Manager of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Mukhtar Muhammed, who stated while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, described as alarming the rising cases of COVID-19 infections recorded in the three urban areas.
Muhammed said data showed that urban local governments in the affected places recorded the highest cases of COVID-19 amid the second wave of the pandemic in Nigeria
NSIA Equips 21 Health Facilities With 53 Oxygen Concentrators, 126 Monitors
Meanwhile, in a bid to assist the federal government scale up its COVID-19 response, the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has formally handed over 126 units of patient monitors and 63 units of oxygen concentrators to 21 healthcare institutions across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The move is part of the authority’s COVID-19 relief programme as the country battles the second wave of the pandemic.
With the nation’s economy still in recovery, the relief equipment is expected to add to the current stock of critical medical equipment required for the containment of the virus in Nigeria.
The supply of oxygen concentrators and patient monitors is expected to boost the government’s efforts to provide an efficient and effective healthcare response for those affected by the virus.
The shortage of oxygen concentrators and patient monitors is hampering government’s efforts in providing an efficient and effective healthcare response for those affected by the virus during the first wave of the pandemic.
Speaking at the virtual handing over ceremony, the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, said the COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge negative impact on the global community, disrupting well established health care systems.
Mustapha who is also the chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 said since the outbreak of the pandemic in Nigeria, the federal government had taken stringent measures to combat the spread of the virus.
He listed some of the measures taken so far to check the spread of the virus to include the ban on flights, the imposition of curfew, nationwide lockdown, and compulsory wearing of face masks among others.
The SGF regretted that despite these measures, the lack of compliance with non-pharmaceutical measures had compelled the government to issue the Coronavirus Disease Health Protection Regulation of 2021 which was signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 26.
He also said the federal government had rehabilitated oxygen plants and would be constructing one each in every state of the federation to boost its response to the pandemic.
Mustapha told the participants at the virtual launch that the federal government would not rest until it ensures that the battle against the pandemic is won.
Also speaking at the event, the minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, commended the NSIA for its intervention in the healthcare centres in the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Federal Medical Centre Umuahia and the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Kano.
The minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, said since the outbreak of the pandemic, the federal government had been coming up with policy measures to cushion the negative impact of the pandemic on the economy.
On his part, the director-general of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu, said in the last one year, over 120,000 COVID-19 cases had been recorded with the death of 1,500 people.
