The Presidential Task Force on the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic has advised all state governments to prepare facilities of at least 300 persons capacity in anticipation of a surge in the spread of the disease.
The task force also lamented that the fake news trending in the public domains are hampering the efforts being made to fight back the spread of the disease.
Chairman of the task force and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, at yesterday briefing, said the federal government would intensify consultations with state governments so as to better coordinate the fight against the pandemic.
He also emphasized the need for most of the very harsh measures that have been introduced and might still come, noting that COVID-19, beyond posing a potential threat to humanity, is a threat to both the economy and national security of Nigeria.
On the need to work with state governments to have a coordinated response, Mustapha said the task force would intensify its consultations.
“As we continue to assess the readiness of containment and management, we recognise strongly the importance of synergy with the states. It is important for states, whether in the frontline where cases have been reported or where cases have not been reported, to intensify the preparation of facilities that will help in the event of a surge
“Training of personnel in the management of these facilities is also a critical factor to the success of our strategy. The Presidential Task Force shall intensify consultations with the governors and other state agencies to achieve the much needed collaboration.
“In furtherance of this consultation, we are requesting that the sub-national governments should provide at least a 300-bed facility, either a hotel or any other facility that is available to them, with options, upgraded in different categories so that they provide basic nursing and earlier required procedures before patients are moved into the isolation centres or the teaching hospitals or any other facility. Those facilities, starting from 300 should be expandable as the need arises”, he said.
Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed lamented the effect of fake news on the national efforts.
“Fake news is distracting the fight against COVID-19 and I think this is quite unhelpful. It was trending on the social media that the equipment that we received from China, from Jack Ma, have all been infected with virus. This is not true.
“Also, I was quoted yesterday to have said that the PTF had distributed N5 billion to the most vulnerable people in the last 24 hours. That also is not correct.