COVID-19: Prepare for the worst, Ehanire tells states

Osagie Ehanire, minister of health, has called on states to prepare for the worst in terms of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He stated this at the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

According to Ehanire, as the country begins another phase of the eased lockdown, it is important for the health sector to review the current guidelines in order to assess its effectiveness in containing the spread of the virus.

“This rising trend requires that each state of the federation continues to prepare, as we all want to prepare, for the worst as we hope for the best and work for the best,” the minister said.

“We need to prepare more bed spaces and increase sample collection sites, as well as improve logistics to deliver to designated laboratories promptly for testing.

“The COVID-19 statistics, as he (Boss Mustapha, secretary-general of the federation) said, are expected to rise further with improved testing but also as a sign of COVID-19 is actually expanding faster than our systems are handling it.”

Ehanire added that all countries of the world, including Nigeria, rely heavily on the cooperation of citizens, especially in implementing “simple” non-pharmaceutical measures such as use of face masks.

“This success or lack thereof of response is therefore a factor, not just of national but also of sub-national and citizen efforts, hence the need to again call on all states, local government areas, wards, communities to know that they have a critical role to play and that their engagement matters,” he said.

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), as of July 1, 2020, a total of 26,484 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the country, out of which 10,152 persons have recovered, while 603 patients have died.