The Federal Ministry of Health, on Wednesday, May 6th, 2020, directed state governments to increase the number of COVID-19 isolation centres, as number of cases keeps soaring.

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, made this appeal at the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja, noting that Nigeria was largely currently battling with community transmission of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The minister said,

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Nigeria has continued to rise not unexpectedly, in view of prevailing circumstances in certain states. As at 11pm on May 5, 148 persons had tested positive, bringing the total to 2,950 confirmed to have COVID-19 in 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

We are encouraging and supporting states to increase the number of isolation centres nationwide, and we are extremely grateful to corporate organisations and philanthropists who have donated isolation facilities, diagnostic equipment, commodities and sundry supplies relevant to our response efforts to COVID-19 threat.

We are clearly in community transmission phase, where much now depends on individual and collective behaviour and the urgency of behaviour change communication becomes apparent. Knowledge so far gathered about COVID-19 needs to be converted into practice, because our safety, now more than ever, depends on all of us.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.