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| Director-General of the NCDC Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu |
Infected young people within age 20 and 40 bracket are responsible for the rapid spread of Coronavirus in the country, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said on Thursday.
The agency also restated that the elderly are the most vulnerable and urged the youth to take responsibility by ensuring they did not get too close to the elderly.
Director-General of the NCDC Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu stated this during Thursdayโs briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 Control in Abuja
He said: โIt is increasingly obvious that transmission among young people โ between the age of 20 and 40 years โ as far as we know, are really driving the spread of this virus. But those that are bearing the brunt of it are people aged 50 years and above.
โThree out of five people will die from COVID-19 at 50 and above. So, we have to work harder collectively to protect our elders.โ
Chairman of the PTF Boss Mustapha warned that the Federal Government would not hesitate to change the course of its response to the disease, should the need arose.
Mustapha said the likely introduction of more measures to contain the virus was precipitated by observation that the gradual easing of restrictions globally had led a rise in positive cases .
The PTF boss charged Nigerians not to assume that the relaxation of restrictions meant that the battle against COVID-19 had been concluded.
His words: โOne significant observation the PTF wishes to make is that new rise in cases are to be expected as nations start to ease restrictions.
โWe shall however, proceed with caution and we shall not hesitate to change course when the need arises.
โWhat this means is that Nigerians should never mistake the relaxation by government as a signal that the COVID-19 battle had been concluded.โ
He also clarified that the government had not opened schools, adding that the Federal Ministry of Education would have to consult more to be able to decide when it would be safe for pupils to resume.
Mustapha added: โOnly critical examination classes will be allowed to resume for those who need revision before examinations. As we have informed you, the Federal Ministry of Education will consult further with stakeholders before issuing guidelines that will lead to full resumption.โ
He said further that the World Health Organisation announced on Wednesday that 60 percent of all COVID-19 cases globally have been reported in the last one month and further noted that for the past week, the number of new cases have exceeded 160,000 every day.
He noted that Nigeria on Wednesday reached another daily milestone with new daily cases reaching 790.
Mustapha added: โWe join the whole world in emphasizing that the best way to manage this pandemic is the comprehensive approach. While we ask you to play your part by observing physical distancing, keeping personal hygiene, wearing face mask, avoiding large gathering and staying at home if you should.
โThe PTF and collaborating agencies shall continue to work on finding, isolating, testing, tracing every contact, communicating and treating. For our health workers, we shall equip and train them while our communities will be empowered to protect themselves. It is a combined approach that will work for us all,โ he said.
