The federal government says it is tracing no fewer than 4,370 people
that have contacts with index cases of the novel Coronavirus epidemic
(COVID-19).
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai
Mohammed, made this known on Thursday in Abuja, while giving an update
on the measures being taken by the government to tackle the pandemic.
“We
have 4,370 people of interest whom we are tracing, and we urge those
who have had contact with suspected cases to immediately report to the
authorities.
“We urge Nigerians to support the authorities in
this regard, because we are on the verge of reaching the level of
community spread.
“We must stop this immediately or we will record exponential cases in the days ahead,” he said.The
minister noted that being positive to Coronavirus is not a death
sentence, and there is no justification for people not to surrender
themselves for test.
He said some Nigerians, who flew into the
country from overseas, filled wrong addresses and phone numbers in their
forms, making it difficult to trace them when the need arose.
“We are not getting the kind of cooperation that this moment deserves from Nigerians.
“Many are busy engaging in meaningless criticisms instead of complying with the stipulated directives to keep people safe.
“Some
Nigerians defied orders to stay away from large gatherings, while some
religious leaders wilfully flouted the directives to ensure social
distancing.
“The government is doing its best, but we need the citizens to do their best too,” he said.
The
minister said it has got to the stage when government would have to use
“strong enforcement” for people to comply with directives aimed at
curbing the spread of COVID-19.
(NAN)