Federal Government has charged all state governments to consider converting and equipping schools and abandoned buildings for isolation centres.
National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF), Dr Sani Aliyu, made the suggestion on Monday during the media briefing by the task force.
He also emphasised the need for states to start expanding their isolation and treatment capacities, especially with the increase in community-based transmission to avoid being caught unprepared.
Dr Aliyu stressed;
I must emphasise the need for state governments to continue to identify spaces for isolation of persons diagnosed positive with COVID-19. It’s important that we start considering unusual environments such as schools, academic institutions and even abandoned buildings because we definitely need to build our isolation capacities.
The PTF coordinator asserted that;
You may recall that the PTF provided guidance on ensuring that at least 300 beds are made available across all states for isolating people with COVID-19 and we’re so concerned that a lot of states are yet to reach that number.
He added that the task force is committed to protecting the socio-economic interest of all Nigerians all through the period of the pandemic and post COVID-19.
Dr Aliyu explained that;
In particular, we’ll continue to ensure the protection of health services system by collaboration with ministries, departments and agencies, we’ll continue to ensure the social protection and provision of basic services including the protection of jobs, both within the formal and informal sectors, as well as encouraging multilateral collaboration with the public and private sectors.
In terms of public sensitization, He said;
We encourage the public to continue to personally monitor for symptoms of COVID-19, especially now that we have community transmission.
In addition, Dr Aliyu expressed that the PTF is monitoring cases in the Northeast and the Northwest parts of the country as well as investigating spike in cases particularly in the hotspots in other parts of the country.
