COVID-19: PTF Expresses Concern Over Returnees Failure to Comply
POLITICS DIGEST- The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on the Novel Coronavirus, disease, has expressed concerns over failure of some of the returnees to adhere to the conditions attached to their quarantine.
The PTF therefore warned their family and friends to stay away from quarantined returnees from foreign countries.
Speaking during the PTF daily press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the PTF, Mr. Boss Mustapha, warned that such visits were potentially dangerous to public health.
He said: “The PTF reported the progress made with the evacuation of some Nigerians from the UAE, UK & USA.
“We also informed you about the mandatory quarantine protocol. Nigerians have in recent days been served with different audio-visual clips by some of these returnees.
“The PTF is saddened by the conduct of some of the returnees who fail to adhere to the conditions attached to their quarantine.
“I strongly urge them to obey the rules in the facilities and also urge their friends and relations to recognise the contagious nature of the disease by desisting from visiting them.
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“Complying is in the interest of the visiting relation and in the overall public interest”, Mustapha said.
While emphasising the importance of allowing and encouraging farmers to take advantage of the current farming season, Mustapha added that farmers were part of those exempted by President Muhammadu Buhari from the series of restrictions issued to curtail the spread of COVID-19.
On his part, the Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said that the agency will not share test results of individuals publicly and the test results of Nigerians evacuated from Dubai, UAE, the United Kingdom and the United States.
According to him, the the guildlines permit that test results should be shared with the affected persons only.
He added that the returnees are still in isolation undergoing the stipulated 14 days of self-isolation.
“We are doing the test, even when the tests are out we are not going to offer it to you. We will offer it to the returnees. If they are patients we will manage that.
“We are not going to make public the results whether you just came back from Dubai or you are living in Nigeria. Results are meant for patients who got tested,” he said.
Recall that no fewer than 253 Nigerians were recently evacuated from the United Kingdom (UK) by the Federal Government and 265 others evacuated from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) amid the Coronavirus outbreak.
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