One year after Nigeria's first case: NCDC urges strict adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols
The Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu has emphasised the need for continued solidarity and adherence to public health and social measures against COVID-19 in the country.
He stated this, Saturday, in his statement to mark a year since the first confirmed COVID-19 case was reported in Nigeria.
He said, “In 2020, our country truly united in solidarity against the virus. The impact of this has been obvious from small personal gestures such as sharing foodstuff, to collaborations on research and innovation – to regional and pan-African collaboration.
Speaking on vaccinations, he said, "Despite the best efforts of government, it will take time to vaccinate everyone against COVID19.”
Ihekweazu, who advised that we adhere to the public health and social measures that keep each and all of us safe, said “This means physical distancing, wearing face masks, practicing hand and respiratory hygiene and avoiding crowded indoor places.”
He said the recent report of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) cases in Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo was a reminder that outbreaks will continue to emerge, adding that this emphasises the need for continued investment in health security at national and state level.
While commending the efforts of the NCDC under the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 (PTFCOVID-19) in the last one year, Dr Ihekweazu said the synergy has enabled a multi-sectoral response to the pandemic, which has affected multiple facets of Nigeria’s economy.
While noting that the pandemic also provided the opportunity to rapidly scale up Nigeria’s public health infrastructure, he urged Nigerians not to give up but continue to take responsibility in spite of the loss of lives and livelihoods as a result of the pandemic.