The Federal Government has said that the community transmission of COVID-19 pandemic in the country is being worsened by Nigerians engaging in interstate movement.
The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu, said this on Thursday in Abuja at the 13th joint national briefing of the committee.
He also lamented the smuggling of citizens across the states to beat the lockdown policy of the government.
“We have noticed that community spread is now being traced to people travelling across state borders.
“We need to try and restrict our movements in order to stop the spread of this Coronavirus infection; this is particularly pertinent with regards to the news of people being smuggled in trucks out of Lagos,” Aliyu said.
He added that there is also the need for donors to safeguard life and basic health protocols during the distribution of palliatives within local communities.
“It is important that they maintain health and safety, the rise of aggressive behaviour and non-conformity to physical distancing is unacceptable and a major risk to our communities.
“It is a serious public safety concern,” Aliyu said.
He also reminded donors, who already had plans to support the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic, of the need to work through the PTF so as to ensure that items and resources being donated are relevant to needs and also to ensure that goods being donated are not below standards.
He also urged the state governments to adhere to the acquisition of standard supplies, especially on the procurement of protective gear for the frontline healthcare workers in their states.
According to him, the PTF would soon come out with standard guidelines, which would be derived from global and World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, for the equipment and protective gear expected to be provided to tackle the virus in the country.
He equally urged survivors to be bold and come out to tell their story, at their own discretion, saying this would help reduce the rising public stigma and discrimination against victims and survival, which he said is a major concern in the fight against the disease.
