Nigerian government orders reopening of isolation centres, prepares for second wave of Covid-19

Nigerian government has ordered the reopening of all isolation and treatment centres in the country.

While disclosing this on Thursday December 10, 2020, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, explained that the move is imperative following a possible second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Ehanire disclosed this at the briefing of a Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.

He said, “The move is to prepare the country for a possible second wave of the pandemic which some European countries are already battling with.”

The minister added that everyone has a role to play in the effort to prevent explosive spread of the infection in the country.

“We are seeing the increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the last few days, which we have frequently alluded to in recent times. This rightly suggests that we may just be on the verge of a second wave of this pandemic.

“To prepare ourselves, I have directed that all Isolation and Treatment Centres, which were hiterto closed due to reduced patient load, to be prepared for reopening and the staff complement put on alert,” he said.

Countries across Europe are seeing a resurgence in COVID-19 cases after successfully slowing outbreaks early in the year, declaring more cases each day now than they were during the first wave earlier in the pandemic.

England, Portugal and Hungary are among nations in a second lockdown as the new wave of infections sweeps through, shattering efforts and responses to keep the contagion at bay.

Cases in the U.S. are also smashing new records with over 15 million infections thus far.