COVID-19: Buhari charges task force on contact tracing, testing

President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday charged the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 to intensify efforts on the tracing of contacts of COVID-19 patients to curb community transmission of the virus.

The president gave the directive via a teleconference with members of the task force in Abuja.

The Chairman of the PTF on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, told State House correspondents at the end of the teleconference that the president also challenged the task force to flatten the curve of the disease transmission as soon as possible.

Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to Government of the Federation, said: “In the last two weeks, we have reached where we are now and the president is conscious of the fact that we need to flatten the curve as quickly as possible.

”Be able to trace, find the people, conduct as numerous tests as we can and try as much as possible to break the chain of any community transmission.

“I can’t assure you that there won’t be a transmission, there will definitely be transmission but if we are able to get ahead of it, then we can deal with it decisively.

“Some of the new measures that the President has introduced, he has asked a committee to look at how the economy will operate within the context of COVID-19.

“The other one is for the Presidential Task Force to work hand in hand with the Minister of Agriculture and the committees on food security and fertilizer to ensure that the adverse effect of COVID-19 on farming is reduced to the barest minimum.

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“This is because the truth about it is that our people need to go back to their farms, so that we are able to raise sufficient food for the people. The strength of the nation is in its ability to feed itself.”

The SGF appealed to Nigerians to be more patient as the government had adopted measures that would help contain the virus and ensure their safety.

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