The Federal Government on Monday said it did not know how long the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) would last in the country.

The Secretary to the Federal Government, Boss Mustapha, made this remark at a press briefing he jointly held with the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, in Abuja where the government disclosed that the country had recorded its second COVID-19 death.

President Muhammadu Buhari, in a move to eradicate the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), on Sunday, March 29th, 2020, ordered shutdown in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and Lagos and Ogun states.

However, on Monday, March 30th, the Ogun State Government said it had got the presidential permission to shift the lockdown to Friday, April 3rd, 2020.

The President had during a nationwide live broadcast on Sunday, affirmed that the 14-day shutdown would enable the government to trace and treat those people who must have contracted the deadly virus.

On Monday, the SGF, Mustapha, said,

We don’t know how long this thing will last. That’s the truth about it. I believe with sheer determination of all Nigerians, we will overcome these challenges.

We are doing everything to ensure conformity of policies with state governments. We will do everything within our power to stop the case.

He added,

Let me use this medium to appeal to all Nigerians, through you, for full understanding, unity of purpose and in the interest of humanity, to observe all measures put in place, remain vigilant and cooperate with security and other agencies who are toiling day and night to keep us safe and alive.

Ehanire noted that no country besieged by coronavirus has enough ventilators, which he said were not required for all cases.

He said,

The question of ventilators; yes we are addressing it. There is no country in this world that has enough ventilators. Of all the cases we have had so far, only one requires a ventilator. Some require just Oxygen. Probably less than four per cent of the cases we are dealing with require ventilators.

Government is also taking inventory of what each state requires. The number of ventilators you have in the country does not decide your rate of survival.

Ehanire disclosed Buhari had approved the recall to service of all retired but essential and able staff.

He said the President had also ordered that all Federal Government stadia, pilgrims camps and other facilities to be converted to coronavirus isolation centres and makeshift hospitals.

To increase access to coronavirus testing in the country, the health minister said the Federal Government was working hard to open up as many testing sites as possible.

He said,

We project that in three weeks, seven more laboratories in Abakiliki, Kaduna, Kano, Maiduguri, Port Harcourt and Sokoto will be added to this network to further expand testing capacity nationwide.

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.