The National Coordinator of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu has said that testing for COVID-19 is still a challenge in the country’s response to the pandemic.
Speaking during the Daily Trust virtual COVID-19 conference with the theme ‘Revival of Nigeria’s Health Sector: COVID-19 as a Springboard,’ he said there was still insufficient testing for the virus in the country.
- Global financiers sustain action on COVID-19 effects
- Advertising coys review COVID-19 impact on brands
He said several states have not done enough testing to enable the country meet its testing targets.
He added that only the FCT and Lagos have provided requisite testing samples.
He said even before the pandemic, the country’s indices in terms of funding for the health sector was low but the fact that the country had responded to other epidemics, such as Ebola, gave it an advantage.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic may be an unfortunate incident for the country but that it had provided opportunity to prepare well for future epidemics and pandemics.
Dr Aliyu, who also chaired the conference, called on citizens to cooperate with the government to tackle the pandemic.
He said the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 was established to ensure proper coordination and tackle fractional responsibilities in dealing with the pandemic.
