NCDC: We’ll release a policy on face masks this week

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says it will soon issue new directives on the use of the face masks during the coronavirus pandemic.

Chikwe Ihekweazu, NCDC director-general, said the directive will be contained in a fresh policy that is “almost completed.”

At the presidential task force on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja on Monday, Ihekweazu added that the policy will be made known within the next 48 hours. 

“We will release a policy on face masks this week,” he said.

“That policy has almost been completed and the draft is now being looked at by various colleagues to make sure we are all aligned. 

“Tomorrow or next, we will be releasing that policy for all of us to align with together.”

The new policy comes amid calls from various countries for a broader use of face masks among their citizens to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says masks are only for the sick or those taking care of infected persons, and that they are effective only when used in combination with other guidelines.

However, a number of countries, including the United States, have recently reviewed their stance and called for a wider use of masks.

The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing such face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.