The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Thursday advised Nigerians to obey its guidelines on coronavirus to avoid a resurgence of the virus during the rainy season.

The PTF Chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, who gave the warning during the task force press briefing in Abuja, said there could be a resurgence of COVID-19 during the rainy season unless Nigerian adhered to the PTF guidelines.

He also listed the group’s achievements since its inauguration by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), three months ago.

He listed steps taken by the Federal Government through the PTF to check the spread of COVID-19 since the task force inauguration.

According to him, the measures include lockdown of Lagos and Ogun states as well as the Federal Capital Territory; ban on flights, ban on interstate travels and domestic flights, closure of schools and religious centres and imposition of nationwide curfew.

Mustapha stated that the Federal Government had increased COVID-19 laboratories from two to 38, trained 13,000 health workers and developed policy and protocols for testing returning Nigerians.

He listed challenges to COVID-19 fight as resistance to change, stigmatization, mental health, culture, religious belief and rising incidents of domestic violence.

The SGF reminded Nigerians that COVID-19 had reached the level of community engagement and risk communication, adding that they should obey all the guidelines and non-pharmaceutical measures.

He stated, “​Always remember, that the virus is real, potent and dangerous. Our relaxed lockdown should never be interpreted to mean otherwise. This point is further underscored by reported resurgence of a second wave in countries like China and the USA and this should put all of us on the alert, knowing that this virus can only be eliminated if we agree to play our part.

“This call becomes more pertinent as we go fully into the rainy season that ordinarily brings with it cold, catarrh and other COVID-19 mimicking illnesses. Our call to take personal responsibility cannot be more strident than now.”

Don’t stay at home, minister tells COVID-19 positive Nigerians with diabetes, others

On his part, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said the majority of 469 people that had died of COVID-19 as of Wednesday were above 50 years or had pre-existing ailments like diabetes, cancer, hypertension, kidney disease and HIV.