Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire has said that the figure of confirmed cases of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country would fluctuate as more testing will be conducted.
Ehanire, while speaking on the use of face mask, said that it did not have to be a hospital graded masks or surgical masks.
The minister added that the purpose was to shield a person from another.
“If you are in a neighbourhood where many people have tested positive, you are advised to go for testing,” he said.
On mobility, he stressed that for health workers who had to travel far away, the arrangement would be made by their hospital.
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Dr Sani Aliyu, Coordinator of PTF on COVID-19, said that testing was not recommended in the absence of symptoms because COVID-19 might not show during incubation time.
Aliyu said that there was no room for massive community testing for COVID-19 in the country as it would be inefficient and expensive.
“What we should be doing is improving the efficiency of the targeting of the tests.
“We also do not recommend doing the test in the absence of symptoms,” he said.
He, however, argued that “physical distancing” is a much more apt and appropriate term than “social distancing.”
”Physical distances are what we actually need to be maintaining as much as is possible at this time.
Meanwhile, speaking of Gender Base Violence, Aliyu said that the government would continue to protect the victims of domestic violence not just during the COVID-19 lockdown but at all times.
News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to economic uncertainties, loss of jobs, increase in depression and more.
The incidences of domestic violence and sexual abuse rises as victims are forced to stay in the same location with abusers due to the lockdown.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged the government to help victims access support and voice out against injustice as well as end the violence against women and girls.(NAN)