…As Commonwealth donates N82m PPEs to Kano State***

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 550 new cases of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.

The NCDC disclosed this via its verified website on Tuesday, noting that the 550 new cases had taken the total number of infections in the country to 70,195.

The agency disclosed that it recorded an additional COVID-19-related death to take the total number of fatalities in the country to 1,182.

The new cases, it said, were recorded in 16 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with Lagos retaining the highest figure of 219 cases.

Other states were Kaduna, 52 cases, Kwara, 19; Kano and Rivers, 15 each; Sokoto, 10; Enugu , 9; and Gombe, 8.

Plateau and Osun recorded 7 each; Anambra and Oyo, 5 each; Jigawa and Ogun, 4 each; Bauchi 2; Edo, 1; and the FCT, 168.

It noted that 163 patients were discharged across the country after recovering from the disease.

The 550 cases recorded as of Dec. 9 represent the highest the country has recorded since Aug. 23, when 601 cases were reported.

The country’s highest daily COVID-19 cases was 745, recorded on June 19.

The NCDC said that till date, 70,195 cases had been confirmed, 65,110 cases discharged, and 1,182 deaths recorded in 36 states of the federation and the FCT.

It said that a multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC) activated at Level 3, continued to coordinate the national response activities.

It advised Nigerians to take responsibility and take steps that would help limit the spread of COVID-19 during the Christmas and New Year festivities.

“Limit all non-essential travel especially from high-risk countries.

“Limit person-to-person contact and always wear a face mask,” it advised.

The country has so far tested 817, 913 persons since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was announced on Feb. 27.

In another development, Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State says the state government has received a donation of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) worth N82 million from the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Ganduje said this in a statement issued to newsmen on Tuesday in Kano by Hassan Musa-Fagge, the Chief Press Secretary to the state’s Deputy Governor.

The governor, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Nasir Gawuna, received the donation after which he flagged off the PPE distribution to primary health facilities in the state.

Also Read: Kaduna State Fire Service records 115 fire outbreaks, 25 deaths in only two months

While commending the FCDO, Ganduje said his administration had an open door for further collaboration with development partners to improve the delivery of quality healthcare service in the state.

Ganduje pointed out that the laudable gesture by Lafiya Programme, an initiative of FCDO,  would strengthen the effort of the state and complement the success recorded in curbing the menace of COVID-19 pandemic.

“This occasion is another milestone in our collaboration with partners and our government commitment to improve the lives of the people of the state through the establishment of an effective and efficient health delivery system.

“Despite the prevailing financial crunch, we are doing everything possible to ensure consistent improvement in the health indices by implementing policies and programmes aimed at improving the health status of the people of the state.

“I assured you that the donation which came through your ‘Lafiya Programme’ will be judiciously used,” Ganduje said.

In her remarks, the Regional Coordinator of the FCDO Nigeria, Hajiya Nafisa-Ado, said the donation of the PPEs, worth over N82 million, was to support the state government in its effort to protect the people against the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said the government should expect the second batch of PPEs from FCDO, worth over N280 million,  in January 2021.

She explained that the FCDO had developed synergy with Kano State Health partners which included WHO, UNICEF, Core Group, NCDC, African CDC and CHAI to regularly review the COVID-19 incidence Action plan to respond to emerging issues on the pandemic.

“And also, through our Lafiya Programme we have supported Kano to secure N100 million grant from the World Bank,” she added.

Nafisa-Ado applauded Kano government on the success achieved in the control of COVID-19 transmission in the state particularly in the conduct of house-to-house community screening and testing.

She added that they were confident that the support given would be utilised by the government and the people of the state.