STOP PICKING OF FACE MASK FROM DUMP SITES- PTF TELLS NIGERIANS.

The unhealthy practice of some Nigerians picking face masks from rubbish dumps and sells to people is a bad act and to be stopped-PTF

NCDC accredits Lagos state private hospitals.

Mr. Boss Mustapha, chairman of the task force and secretary to the government of the Federation, has raised an alarm at the PTF press briefing in Abuja. He said such an act could endanger the country and increase the spread of COVID-19.

He added that the Northern state government should suspend evacuating the Almajirai to their states of origin.

Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health said pathologies from Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina, and Kano are fully trained to investigate the mass deaths in the states.

On April 27, President Mohammed Buhari during national broadcast gave the order of reopening of the economy, and also gave guidelines that will assist in curbing the spread of COVID-19.

Part of the guidelines is maintaining social distance in public places and the effective use of face masks. The government banned any form of social gathering having more than 20 peoples.

Sharing of face mask is unhealthy and can still cause the spread of COVID-19.

He added that “The unhealthy practice of picking disposed face masks for whatever purpose is harmful to both the individual picking them and whoever procures them later.

“The PTF has become aware of the ongoing practice of sharing face masks and picking of masks for recycling from dumpsites. This places a lot of responsibility on all of us to be self-educated and to educate others.

“The following points are emphasized: ​Except for fabric face masks, every disposable used mask is a hazardous medical waste and should be disposed of properly, preferably by burning.

“It is very risky to share face masks as the virus is capable of remaining on surfaces for several hours and you could get infected.”

The federal government also gave a piece of advice to the Northern governors that moving of the Almajirai to their origin should be suspended for now.

After on April 21, the Northern governors said that the Almajirai system of education should be ban and the children returned to their states of origin.

Kano and Nasarawa are the states which have been repatriating the Almajirai back to their state of origin.

On May 2, the Kaduna state government said 21 out of 61 Almajirai deported to the state from Kano tested positive for the virus.

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Asides of the children hidden in vehicles carrying food and brought to the South, the southern states have frowned up.

The SGF said, “This is not the time for movement of Almajirai because of interstate lockdown. If you say interstate movements are banned, I don’t think that movements of Almajirai are essential movements.”

The governments were urged by Mustapha to align their actions and enforcement with the guidelines provided by the PTF.

He said, “The virus does not respect boundaries neither does it respect status. All state governments are, therefore, urged to strengthen their monitoring and enforcement machinery in collaboration with the security agencies.”

PTF tells researchers to be ready to through validation.

Researchers should come up with homegrown drugs and vaccine for the cure of Coronavirus-SGF

The researches should be ready and patient to go through the validation process to establish the safety of drugs.

He added, “Since the recording of the index case, Nigerians have clamored for research into homegrown solutions to COVID-19.

“The PTF, as part of its mandate, has continued to promote research and wishes to repeat its appeal to all our researchers to go through the validation process so as to enable humanity to benefit from their hard work and them in turn benefit from the intellectual property rights associated with such research.”

He added that the ‘COVID -19 vaccine won’t be ready until 2021.’

He pleads with Nigerians to abide by the PTF guidelines to fight the virus by using the face masks, social distance, and washing of hands regularly.

Mustapha said, “Ordinarily, from the little literature I have read on COVID 19, we are not expecting any vaccine to be on the shelves until towards the end of 2021. That is for industries that have perfected the processes of manufacturing of this vaccine.”

The SGF also challenged the private sector to continue to support the government in order to fortify the health system and infrastructure against present and future pandemics.

Responding to a question, the SGF said hotels accommodating Nigerians evacuated from abroad would be decontaminated after 14 days of isolation of the returnees before receiving a new batch.

Also, the National Coordinator of the PTF, Dr. Sani Aliyu, lamented that large movements of people across state borders were frustrating efforts aimed at containing the pandemic.

He appealed to security agencies to rise to the challenge and stop the trend, except for essential services.

FG has approved a hazard allowance for COVID-19 health workers.

Also at the press briefing, the Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire,  said the Federal Government had signed a deal approving hazard allowances for health workers involved in the COVID-19 containment.

He said the agreement had been forwarded to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed.

Ehanire noted that the Nigerian Medical Association and other stakeholders were present at the signing of the deal, which had also been forwarded to the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Pathologists have been deployed to probe strange deaths in Northern parts of the country.

He said the Federal Ministry of Health assembled and trained pathologists from Sokoto, Bauchi, Jigawa, Katsina and Kano states who were thereafter sent to probe the strange deaths in the states.

He said, “With regard to the investigation in Kano (deaths), it is going to be a very scientific investigation and they will sit down to collate a report. They are trying to ensure that there is no room for error. I have not seen it yet, but it is in the pipeline.

“I have told the teams to bring pathologists to these states which are reporting these deaths. We have brought pathologists from Sokoto, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kano, and others to develop a protocol and training by which they can now carry out this investigation.”

He said the ministry had developed a protocol for accreditation of hospitals, adding the protocol had been given to many states.

He also said some hospitals, including private and public facilities, had been accredited to treat the virus.

The minister stated, “The team that was sent to Kano has already been to four other states. The Federal Government and state hospitals; some private hospitals in Lagos, have been accredited by the accreditation team.”

He appealed to each state government to provide at least 300-bed spaces as isolation centers.

Ehanire also spoke about a  COVID-19 patient at the National Hospital, Abuja, who allegedly insisted on her tests being conducted by the World Health Organisation officials.

The minister said, “On the lady at the National Hospital whom we have been engaging with. The history is already known that she came from the United Kingdom and has had three tests. She is due for another test, which she has refused to take.  We strongly believe that she is by now negative but we have to be able to document it because we also work with guidelines released from the WHO.

“So, I called her on the phone and persuaded her to let them take the test. First, she gave me conditions that they (officials) must give her all her tests from the past. I gave instruction and they took all her results, photocopies and gave them to her.”

Reps tell FG to inform the Northern Suspend the move of Almajirai to their states of origin.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to stop northern governors from deporting Almajirai from their states.

The House made the call at the plenary on Tuesday following the unanimous adoption of a motion moved by Mrs. Aishatu Dukku and Mr. Shehu Kakale on the need to halt the interstate movement of Almajirai.

Adopting the motion, the House resolved to “urge the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to enforce the interstate travel ban order (by the President) and direct the governors concerned to immediately halt the evacuation of the Almajirai.”

The House also urged the National Centre for Disease Control to “counsel the governors concerned on the threat posed by the evacuation of the children at this critical period.”

The legislative chamber further urged the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management to “include the Almajirai children among the beneficiaries of palliatives being distributed by the Federal Government to the less-privileged.”

Also, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Health to examine the health condition of the Almajirai children.

It  urged the Northern Governors’ Forum to “rescind their decision on banning the system of education until those already in the system are provided for in the Universal Basic and Technical Education System.”

Moving the motion, Dukku recalled that governors, under the aegis of the Northern Governors’ Forum, had on April 21, 2020, issued a statement where they unanimously decided to ban the Almajirai system.

Dukku said, “The House is worried that the evacuation of the Almajirai is jeopardizing the fight against COVID-19 due to the high level of movement of the children from different places and its attendant high risk of infection. The House is concerned that the evacuation of the children is against their fundamental human rights of residing anywhere in Nigeria as guaranteed in Chapter IV of the Constitution.”