Press Briefing By Hon. Minister Of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire At The Presidential Task Force On COVID-19 Press Briefing On Thursday 25th June, 2020
PROTOCOL
As the number of deaths related to Covid-19 cases in Nigeria continue to rise, I am urging citizens especially those who are in doubt to take extra pre-caution in their daily activities.
2.As at yesterday, we had 649 new confirmed cases bringing the total number of cases in the country to 22,020. We have so far successfully treated and discharged 7,613 persons while 542 deaths have been recorded.
3. On Tuesday, 23rd June, 2020, an Emergency National Council on Health was held virtually attended by State Commissioners of Health, Head of Agencies, Directors at the Federal Ministry of Health Development Partners and other stakeholders in the health sector to review status and align all response to COVID19 outbreak in States. Council approved the Health Sector COVID-19 Pandemic Response Action Plan which was developed by the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with departments and Agencies to present one response in the health sector delivered in a coordinated and strategic manner.
4.As we learn more about the disease, we continue to evolve response actions. The community transmission has resulted in the high number of confirmed cases with the challenge that in some states, the facilities for case management may become overwhelmed. Bearing in mind the importance of managing cases in facilities, the Federal Ministry of Health through the NPHCDA has developed a guideline for the establishment of Community Support Centres.
5. A central objective of this guideline is the establishment of Community Support Centres (CSCs) in selected clusters of Local Government Areas (LGAs) for the management of COVID-19 cases. These community support centres will strengthen the capacity of the health system at the community level to respond to the outbreak and result in the reduction of the transmission of COVID-19 within communities in high burden and high density states.
6.We must daily be reminded of challenges covid-19 poses to Nigeria and the world, and further reinforce our resolve to tackle the pandemic. We can reduce case fatality in Nigeria, if non-pharmaceutical interventions are scaled up and we become more proactive in dealing with positive cases. We can scale up testing, tracing, treatment and Isolation, with priority on offering more protection to elderly citizens and those with co-morbidities, from the threat of infection.
7.Thank you for your attention.
