- As 248 New Cases Confirmed, 143 deaths
By Abdulrahman Aliagan, Abuja
The Director General, Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC), Dr Chike Ihekweazu has said that it is up to Kogi State as the state continues to frustrate the effort of the Centre on the cases of COVID-19 in the state. He added that there had been a wonderful between the Centre and the state.
As the NCDC on Sunday confirmed 248 new COVID-19 cases bringing the total confirmed cases to 4,399. With this, Nigeria fatalities increased from 128 to 143, while recoveries increased from 745 to 778 persons.
Lagos had the highest with 81 new cases while Jigawa recorded 5 new cases of the virus. Borna also confirmed 26 new cases.
Dr Chike Ihekweazu stated this recently in Abuja on the effort of NCDC to contain COVID-19 in Kogi state and other states of the federation.
According to the DG NCDC, the Centre can only help the state that wanted the help of the Centre added that the agency is ready to give support to any state that desires their support.
He said, “We can only help those that want to be helped. We supported Kogi in whatever way they wanted. Kogi is a good friend. However, it is up to Kogi. It’s their choice”
”Let me say we’ve had a wonderful relationship with Kogi State, it is one of 1st states where we set up an EOC; we gave State Epidemiologist a vehicle over a year ago; the Commissioner for Health is a personal friend.” He noted
Speaking on what transpired during NCDC delegation visit to Lokoja Dr Ihekweazu said Kogi remains a good friend in national strategy to prevent coronavirus spread.
“We have always supported Kogi State. You can only offer help where the help is wanted. Unfortunately yesterday, we offered help where it wasn’t appreciated. We have had a great relationship with Kogi State. He said.
It would be recalled that the NCDC had cried out to some states that have continued to hide the cases In their states but two out of the states had came out to report the cases of COVID-19 in their respective states leaving Kogo and Cross River states as a miraculous states that are yet to report cases of the dreaded virus.
The DG of NCDC, had earlier stated that it will definitely emerge, owing to the
proximity of some of the holy states, he added that it is just a matter of
time.
According to NCDC DG, “It is better to understand what is happening early than leave it till we start hearing stories of death”
“We need to test more, but to test more, we need to collect more and that collection part is the responsibility of states and their Public Health teams.
“We want to really encourage every state in Nigeria, you cannot hide this. Eventually, it will emerge. It is better we understand what is happening early than leave it till we start hearing stories of death. So, we are really encouraging the Public Health Teams in these states to push out their people that have Pneumonia, acute respiratory infections and others.
There is absolutely no doubt about
this. Please, collect samples and send them to us, let us test and know whether
you have this thing circulating in your states and mount an appropriate
response. If it is not there, it is not there, but we cannot know if we do not
test”, he added.
Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce PTF on Covid-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha on his part said; “the PTF shall continue to pursue the strategy of aggressive testing, detection, isolation, contact tracing, care and management. Similarly, non-pharmaceutical measures will be enhanced”.
“Over the last four weeks, we made appreciable progress but we are not yet out of the woods because a lot more is required to be done. Nigerians at all levels must take responsibility for our actions, adopt behavioural modification, ensure compliance with advisories and provide guidance to our followers and youths.
“The situation in Kano is being
addressed very closely by the NCDC in strong partnership with the State
government and guidance by the Federal Ministry of health as well as support
from our development partners”, Mustapha added.
Meanwhile, the doctors’ association in Kogi State had expressed concern over the refusal of Kogi State to test suspected cases of coronavirus.
As of Sunday night, Nigeria has tested 23, 835 people with 4,399 confirmed cases and 143 deaths across the country.
Kogi is one of the two states yet to confirm any case of the virus since the country recorded its index case in February. The other state is Cross River.
In Kogi, the state government is deliberately discouraging COVID-19 tests and has alleged that there is a plot by unnamed persons to ensure Kogi records cases of the virus
This attitude of the Kogi government has irked the doctors’ association in Kogi who warn it could be dangerous who warn it could be dangerous.
The Chairman, Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Kogi chapter, Kabir Zubair, in an interview with Journalists expressed fears that the consequences of not testing people for the COVID-19 may be too enormous to deal with.
“If the state is not testing anybody despite having many suspected cases, it only translates that there may be more cases to deal with later and we don’t know where they are now.
“Community transmission will be inevitable. And this could only spell impending doom,” he said.
Earlier, Kogi Government has alleged plans to ‘import’ cases of coronavirus into the state through illicit means.
The government also said the plan is part of an “unholy conspiracy to declare COVID-19 in all states of the federation.”
It alleged there were “recent pressures from some interesting quarters for Kogi State to find and declare cases of the disease.”
In a recent statement by the state’s commissioner for information, Kingsley Fanwo, alleged “attempts to import the disease or declare fictitious cases”.
The government, in an earlier statement said it will not manufacture cases to satisfy the expectations of unnamed health officials.
