…PTF SAYS NIGERIA IS NOT YET READY FOR FULL REOPENING OF ECONOMY
AMINA HUSSAINI
President Muhammadu Buhari has extended the mandate of Boss Mustapha-led-Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 till December 31, 2020.
Mustapha announced the extension during the PTF’s briefing on Thursday in Abuja.
The PTF Chairman said, “The President has considered the fact that the six-month mandate of the PTF will expire this month and has therefore extended it till the end of December, 2020.”
Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said ”The objective is to: sustain a robust multi-sectoral national response; ensure that we successfully navigate the community spread stage of the pandemic, and strengthen our health system and other socio-economic infrastructure to enable them meet our national aspirations.”
He noted that the PTF was particularly disturbed by the low level of sample collection because of what it portends for the strategy of testing, detection, tracing, isolation and treatment.
According to him, seven states reported lower number of samples collected in July than in the preceding month, but in August this number rose to 32 states.
“This illustrates that despite the increased diagnostic capacity, and improved access to testing, the demand remains low with not enough samples being collected. Therefore, the recent reduction in cases in some states could be attributed to low testing.
“Nigerians will all recall that at the onset of the eased lock down, the PTF drafted a three-phase strategy of easing the restrictions, ahead of a full reopening of the society and economy. In determining what phase of the strategy to move to, the PTF tried to balance the public health and economic considerations alongside data analysis.
“The PTF believes that while Nigeria is not ready for a full re-opening of the economy, there has been sufficient progress to warrant significant further relaxation of the restrictions applied,” Mustapha said.
He disclosed that the President has considered and approved the following:
- Transition into the third Phase of the National Response to COVID-19 for a period of four weeks with effect from 12.01 am on Friday 4th September, 2020 in line with amendments to address economic, socio-political and health considerations reflected in the implementation guidelines;
- Continued engagement with States and Local Governments to improve community sensitisation on the response;
- Maintaining the current non-pharmaceutical interventions nationwide;
- Urging the State governments to work with Local Government authorities in their states to intensify necessary measures such as contact tracing, grassroots engagement and risk communication;
- Strengthening the collaboration between the Federal and State organs to harmonise the country’s COVID-19 response, in the short, medium and long-term basis; and
- Introduction of sanctions including the suspension of passports or denial of foreign travels for violation of current provisional travel related quarantine protocols.
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