Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu has disclosed that the number of health workers who have tested positive for coronavirus has increased to 812.
The NCDC DG revealed this on Tuesday at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force COVID-19 which held in Abuja on Tuesday.
He noted that 29 officials of the NCDC were among the health workers who got exposed to COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Dr Ihekweazu stated;
We have had 812 healthcare workers infected; they are not just numbers. Twenty-nine of these people work with the NCDC. They are people I know; they have families, wives, children.
He also commended every authorities about the progress made so far in the fight against COVID-19 in the country.
The NCDC boss noted that the total number of cases confirmed so far have exceeded the 10,000 mark, adding that Nigeria has the third-highest figure in Africa.
Read Also: Breaking: Nigeria’s COVID-19 Cases Exceeds 10,000 As NCDC Reports 307 New Cases
According to him, 60 per cent of the cases are in 20 local government areas spread across the nation.
He said;
The public health response is being strengthened as the measures restricting certain movements are being eased. Crossing that 10,000 was a significant event and every night when we work very hard to bring out those numbers, sometimes numbers begin to feel like what they are but you forget that there are people behind those numbers.
Dr Ihekweazu urged Nigerians to be cautious of their daily activities, stressing that the nation has done well but still needs to put in more effort to win the war against COVID-19.
Speaking on the rising figures in the country, he said;
It is very important for us to remember that these are people and as the NCDC, we engage with these people almost every day. When you engage with these people, it means a lot more to you than just the numbers. As we report on this every day, let us remember that these are people; every single number there represents an individual.
