The Rainbow
Chairman of Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, has cautioned Nigerians especially those in the education sector against being in a hurry to reopen schools for students across the country.
Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said Nigeria should learn from the experiences of countries which had reopened their educational institutions.
He was speaking at the briefing by the PTF in Abuja on Monday.
The PTF chairman said, “It is in the above context that the PTF appreciates the on-going calls for re-opening of the education sector and indeed some sub-nationals are already making preparations for such.
“Whilst the PTF does not discourage making such preparations, we need to be guided by experiences from countries such as Germany, France, the United States and the UK where opening of schools in some cities led to an increase in confirmed cases and fatalities.”
According to him, while the PTF is not against the preparations for the reopening of schools in various states, It is necessary sound the warning to prevent a situation where such decisions would be rescinded abruptly.
He said that though Nigeria’s infection numbers have struck downward trajectory it was no time to lower guards.
Mustapha said, “For us in Nigeria, the last three weeks have shown a slowdown in the number of confirmed cases. Indeed, in the last four months of testing, the lowest daily figure of confirmed cases (138) was reported on August 30.
“The PTF still urges caution and vigilance on the declining numbers because the virus is still potent and very dangerous.”
According to the SGF, this position is informed by the fact that despite the nation’s enhanced testing capacity, the number of samples collected for testing have not been encouraging.
In line with efforts at intensifying Nigeria’s targeted testing strategy, he urged states to expand the scope of their sample collection.
The PTF however gave indication that more sectors of the economy might be reopened in no distant time, especially as the nation would be entering a new phase of the eased lockdown.
Mustapha said the PTF would present its recommendations to President Muhammadu Buhari this week, which will determine the next phase in the national response.
As per the general trend in the infection rates, the SGF said the last three weeks had shown slowdown in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country.
The lowest daily figure of confirmed cases (138) was reported on 30th August 2020, the PTF chairman said .
He also congratulated the Commissioner for Health in Lagos State, Professor Akin Abayomi, and many other Nigerians who recovered from COVID-19 recently.
