PTF: 684 evacuees tested positive for COVID-19

The presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 says 684 out of more than 13,000 evacuees tested positive for the virus.

Boss Mustapha, chairman of the PTF and secretary to the government of the federation, disclosed this at a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

According to him, a total of 14,906 Nigerians have been evacuated – many of them young people — out of which 13,844 have been tested.

The PTF chairman also urged the youth to take more responsibility to curb the spread of the virus.

“The PTF appreciates all our young people who have stepped out and are contributing to the fight against the pandemic and implore others yet to do so, to join this fight with all the necessary passion their youthful energy can bring to bear,” Mustapha said.

“I am sure that our risk communication and community engagement strategy would gain a lot of mileage if the various youth organisations and the youth themselves heed this call.

“It might interest you to note that of the 14,906 evacuees received during this COVID-19 pandemic, close to 80 percent are youths for which we are glad that only 684 tested positive for the coronavirus out of the 13,844 so far tested.”

On the country’s search for a vaccine, he added that focus would be more on limiting the spread of the virus, while Nigeria would continue to monitor global trends.

“The country has effectively entered the second week of the extended eased lockdown phase and the PTF continues to monitor global and national trends in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” the SGF said.

“Globally, the world continues to pursue the search for a vaccine with over 1,000 trials ongoing and different claims of levels of success. We note, particularly, the announcement by the President of Russia on the breakthrough in the development of a vaccine even as we study the developments.

“Fighting the pandemic successfully will take a global effort and Nigeria will not be left out whenever and where ever progress is made. However, the health and safety of Nigerians will always remain our priority in the pursuit of a solution.

“For us in Nigeria, we shall remain focused on propagating the use of proven avoidance methods to break the transmission of the virus and effective case management to care for and treat infected persons.”