Second Wave of COVID-19: Governors, PTF, NCDC Strategise for Action

By Chuks Okocha

As the spread of the second wave of the COVID-19 continues across the 36 states of the federation continues, the governors, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 and other global alliances for control of the pandemic are consulting on how to contain the pandemic.

A close source from the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) told THISDAY that already the governors are in serious talks to adopt measures to address the second wave of COVID-19.

According to the NGF secretariat source, “there is already an acknowledgement among the governors on the evidence of the second wave of the pandemic in the states. The governors are in possession of the daily statistics of the second wave as released by the NCDC and the PTF.”

The source from the NGF secretariat said that the stage is now set for the governors to meet as soon as possible with the NCDC and the PTF to agree among them, the various measures to be taken.

The source further said, “Already, there is consensus among the governors that they may meet this week to agree on the modalities with the NCDC and the PTF.”

Apart from consultations with the NCDC and the PTF, there are other meetings with the officials of the World Health Organisations (WHO) and the GAVI Foundation.

The GAVI Alliance (formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) is a global health partnership of public and private sector organiSations dedicated to “immunisation for all”.

It was gathered that among other issues in the consultations are the technical sessions on the distribution of the vaccines and the implementation of the executive other on the wearing of facemasks in the states and public space.

When THISDAY asked whether the consultation would include interstate lockdown or restriction of movement, the source said, “it depends on the information the NCDC and the PTF would release to the governors at their meeting. But one thing is sure, the second wave of the pandemic is real and worrisome.”