Ahead of this year’s Eid-il-fitri celebration, the Federal Government has urged Nigerians to act so as to prevent another wave of COVID-19 in the country.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, made the plea at the briefing of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 in Abuja, on Monday.
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According to him, experience from India and other countries showed that the terrible third wave that has caused so much loss of lives, was facilitated and fuelled by events related to political campaigns, elections and religious gatherings.
“These contributed greatly to the explosion of cases that India is currently battling with today,” Ehanire said.
He said as of Monday morning,165,419 COVID-19 cases had been confirmed in Nigeria, out of 1,977,479 samples tested, with 156,297 successfully treated and discharged while a total of 2,065 fatalities have been recorded.
“The case fatality rate has reduced since the beginning of this month, but should not at all be a reason slow down: we should rather increase our commitment to reducing the spread of the disease as well as fatalities therefrom.
“Although COVID-19 positive cases have continued to drop even with sustained testing, we must remain on our guard. The experience of other countries shows the unpredictability of this disease, such that countries in Asia, such as India, Pakistan and Thailand, have been badly shaken by the enormity of the new wave of infections.”
He also listed the lessons to be learned as avoiding crowds and mass gatherings, whether for politics, religious, commercial or social occasions and advise people to wear masks at all times.
“As we celebrate the Sallah days ahead, let us remember this warning and ensure that we avoid all situations that tempt us to forget COVID-19 preventive measures and life-saving non-pharmaceutical measures.
“Above all, we must keep our elderly and vulnerable populations safe, by encouraging them to stay indoors and avoid crowded places, wear their face masks, ensure physical distancing and observe appropriate hand hygiene. This is good advice for everyone else,” Ehanire said.
