(Abuja)
As the world awaits vaccine for COVID-19,the Federal government says it is developing innovative interventions to reduce fatality cases, resulting from the virus, to below one per cent.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, disclosed this at the Presidential Tasks Force (PTF) on COVID-19 daily briefing in Abuja on Monday.
He noted that fatalities at present was at two per cent, especially for the elderly and those with co-morbidities.
He said:“We would work with state governments to prepare necessary space and human resources at general hospitals or Primary Healthcare Centres.
This he said became necessary to train and set up at least, one sample collection site in every local government area in due course.
According to the Minister,such site would be equipped with efficient sample retrieval logistics to convey samples to laboratories.
“As the cause of the disease becomes clearer, the Director-General of WHO warns that COVID-19 may be with us for a long time.
“This means that we should consider adjusting to what has been described as the ‘new normal,’ a way of life intended to reduce risk of infection, while allowing meaningful economic life to resume and for citizens to restore their livelihoods,” he added.
He stressed the need to sustain the efforts, necessitated by the increase in testing capacity recorded 40,000 in one month while the number of positive cases dropped by over 2,000.
Releasing Coronavrus statistics in the country, Ehanire disclosed that in July, the country recorded 17,457, out of of 154,454 samples tested, with a positivity rate of 11.3 per cent, as against that of June of 19,149 positive cases from a total of 111,052 samples tested with a positivity rate of 17.2 per cent.
“By Aug. 3, we recorded 43,841 confirmed cases out of 286,091 samples tested, while 20,308 persons were treated and discharged with 888 persons dead,” he said.
He said plans were also on to designate holding rooms at general hospitals with facilities for oxygen administration such as oxygen concentrators or oxygen cylinders.
On laboratory, the Minister promised continued increase and optimisation laboratory diagnostic capacity as exemplified in Zamfara, Kebbi, Yobe, Taraba, Gombe and Bayelsa states.
He allayed the fear of health workers about Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), assuring that the equipment had been reasonably well-stocked with materials and commodities and supplied to all sections of the country.
He expressed Nigeria’s appreciatio to the United States of America and European Union for the donation of another consignment of valuable supplies.
Ehanire expressed optimism that
the additional delivery would boost the stockpile of the nation’s wherewithal to fight the pandemic.
He identified the content of the consignment to include: face masks and shields goggles, airways tubes, bio-hazard bags and safety boxes, test kites.
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