Covid-19: FG Fears Surge In Cases As Schools, Businesses Reopen

ABUJA - The Federal Government has expressed worries of a likely surge in the number of COVID-19 cases, as schools and businesses reopen.

It, therefore, urged states to scale up surveillance and review response plan to integrate new ways to deal with the disease. It also urged state governments to ramp up sample and testing in their respective states.

Also, the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has developed a molecular test for COVID-19, which can give results in less than 40 minutes. It is ten times cheaper than a PCR test, and can be used by low skilled personnel with minimum training.

The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Adeleke Mamora, stated this during the Presidential Task Force briefing yesterday in Abuja.

He said: “The number of active cases has continued to drop as we revise our discharge criteria in line with new knowledge of the disease, even as we continue to strengthen our case management pillar to provide effective and efficient quality care to all those who test positive whether they are in our facilities or home care.

“As business and schools begin to open and as travels begin to pick up, we fear that we may have a surge in the number of cases unless we scale up surveillance and review our response plan to integrate new ways to deal with the disease.

“I shall again renew my appeal to state government to continue to ensure that we step up case findings, sample collection and testing. It is only by testing that we can identify those with the infection for isolation and treatment. This is the only way we can truly halt the spread of the disease and confirm that we have actually contained the pandemic.”