FG blames rising COVID-19 cases on non-compliance to measures, unaccredited facilities

The Federal Government has blamed the rising cases of community transmission of coronavirus disease in the country on non-compliance with lockdown directives, medical advice, unauthorised treatment of patients in private homes and unaccredited facilities.

Speaking at the Presidential Task Force on COVlD-19 (PTF) daily briefing, Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunmibe Mamora said government has activated two additional laboratories for COVID-19 network at the Usman Danfodio University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto and Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria bringing the number to 15.

Mamora stated that all states were being supplied medical consumables to help boost their preparedness and response activities, adding that active case finding strategy with house-to-house and cluster testing was ongoing, which has contributed to increased case detection.

He observed that government is concerned about the rise in the number of persons diagnosed with COVID-19 in Kano state adding that the Federal is deploying a high powered fact-finding delegation to work with the state to improve Covid-19 response as well as ask questions on the causes of the reported deaths.

The minister noted that arresting the spread of the coronavirus requires individual and collective efforts.

Also speaking, Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu said the high number of cases in Kano was not surprising considering the population density but that the NCDC was concerned about it.