Nigeria has recorded 216 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the country to 6,175.
Data obtained from the NCDC showed that while there are 4,381 active cases of COVID-19 in the country, 1,644 cases have been discharged with 191 deaths recorded.
The health agency said, “On the 18th of May 2020, 216 new confirmed cases and 9 deaths were recorded in Nigeria.
“No new state has reported a case in the last 24 hours.
“The 216 new cases are reported from 18 states- Lagos(74), Kano(17), FCT(4), Rivers(2), Edo(13), Oyo(19), Katsina(33), Enugu(3), Kaduna(3), Kwara(7), Zamfara(10), Borno(8), Gombe(8), Ogun(8).”
Meanwhile, while increase in the states such as Katsina, Zamfara among others showed why President Buhari bailed out of lockdown ease, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 on Monday explained that the lockdown across states will not be fully lifted yet.
PFT declared that “any relaxation will only portend grave danger for our populace.”
It also listed the new directives approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.
PTF Chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, spoke during a national briefing.
In the full text of his 40-point remarks obtained by Kaftan Post, Mustapha announced that the first phase of the federal government’s three-pronged strategy had been reviewed.
He said measures put in place yielded progress that requires consolidation to ensure that the health system and economy are in a position to adequately respond to any potential outcomes in the future, including a secondary outbreak.
PTF noted that the gradual re-opening of the economy has been sign-posted by the controlled opening, increased access to markets, supermarkets, banks and other income yielding activities for the vulnerable population.
Mustapha said going forward; PTF shall intensify the mobilization of individuals, especially the communities to take ownership of the fight.
This, according to him, will be accompanied by a development of infrastructure and other public health measures to be undertaken in every community and at every phase of the response – surveillance, case finding, testing, isolation, tracing and quarantining contacts.
