By Anthony Isibor.

OSAGIE Ehanire, minister of health, during the Presidential Steering Committee on Covid-19 press briefing held on Monday June 28, said that Nigeria has so far escaped the worst of Covid-19.

The minister disclosed that Nigeria in the last 24 hours recorded just two new covid-19 cases, “Giving us a total of 167,467 confirmed cases as at today, out of 2,266,591 samples tested, with a test positivity rate of 1%.

“We shall endeavor to increase testing rate to improve our case finding early for isolation and treatment.

“In the past 4 weeks, we have done 40,000 to 50,000 samples weekly, with 949 confirmed. We have sadly lost 2,119 persons,” he said, adding that  “Nigeria has so far escaped the worst of Covid-19 and the dire predictions made about us.”

This notwithstanding, the minister appealed to Nigerians to remain alert and ensure compliance to all covid-19 preventive protocols.

“We may even seem to be doing well, but I wish to emphasize that we must still be on strict preventive alert because of the Covid-19 3rd wave that is sweeping across the globe. Cases have been rising in one African country after the other and health systems are getting stressed in countries like Uganda,” Ehanire said.

He also said that the ministry of health has been preparing itself to ensure system resilience by making sure that oxygen sufficiency is of high priority.

“The Global Fund is funding the repair of 30 non-operational plants, and shall in addition build 12 new oxygen plants to be so spatially located across Nigeria, as set on the map of Nigeria, in such a way that gaps in supply are filled and health facilities in Nigeria are able to access oxygen less 100km from an oxygen plant.

“Over 420 brand new oxygen cylinders are in order, to support distribution and availability, just along with 12 liquid oxygen tanks of 10,000L each, with vaporizers, to be also stationed where we can refill cylinders easily. This will expand access to oxygen nationwide and make it available to treat patients with other conditions, such as asthma, pneumonia, sickle cell anaemia, etc.”

Ehanire also said that the distribution of PPEs and consumables is on track in health facilities to assure that health workers are safe.

“We encourage health personnel at Isolation and Treatment Centres and other frontline workers to study global events, including interventions in countries experiencing COVID-19 surge are taking, for preparedness and response, including Case management and simulation, to address their condition. The observations will inform review meetings of stakeholders, to increase shared knowledge and strengthen clinicians’ discretion,” he said.

He urged that Nigerians should be advised by the experience of other countries and take steps to be proactive to contain the third wave, and reassured all Nigerians that the vaccines are safe.

“The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) certified them before we deployed, and they continue to monitor, track, and carry out quality control tests on this and every batch of COVID-19 vaccines to be shipped to Nigeria,” the health minister said.