The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) says it plans to establish infection prevention and control committees in their States to prevent the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country.
NGF Chairman, Governor Kayode Fayemi, said at the end of the Governors meeting on Wednesday night that this is part of the ways to support the role of health workers who are at the frontline of the pandemic.
“Governors are working to improve their logistical and operational efficiency for sample collection and care,” the Ekiti State Governor said.
He commended the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for increasing the tempo on “testing and contact tracing capacity during the 2-week period of lockdown in many parts of the country, and called for greater collaboration with states who are the primary stakeholders of the COVID-19 response.”
The meeting, which was the Governors’ 5th virtual (teleconference) since the upsurge of Coronavirus in Nigeria, was briefed by the Taskforce on COVID-19, the Director General of the NCDC and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) coordinated private sector Coalition against COVID-19 (CACOVID).
Governor Fayemi disclosed that the Governors promised to ensure that emergency services were integrated into the operations of their Task Force on COVID-19.
According to him, the State chief executives welcomed the delivery of healthcare equipment and distribution of palliatives to the most vulnerable persons across States, and promised to ensure “the continuous existence of businesses during the lockdown and will take necessary measures to support same.”
The Governors also commended the Aliko Dangote-led CACOVID for its support to States’ response to the pandemic through the delivery of essential health equipment and the distribution of palliatives to vulnerable persons.