Mr Ihekweazu, while speaking at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing on Monday, said the number of healthcare workers getting infected is becoming worrisome.
He noted that efforts are ongoing to ensure health workers are actively protected against the virus.
“In the last one week, we have 75 healthcare workers infected in Nigeria,” he said.
“So we are very worried about this and we can reduce this risk.”
Health workers at risk
Barely a month ago, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), announced the deaths of 20 doctors within a week from complications arising from coronavirus, news President Muhammadu Buhari described as ‘sad’.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 75 healthcare workers tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week across the country.
Its Director-General, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, made this known at the national briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Monday in Abuja. x
Ihekweazu said that the number of healthcare workers getting infected was becoming worrisome.
He said efforts were ongoing to ensure that health workers were actively protected against the virus.
“First, I’ll like to address the increasing number of COVID-19 cases among healthcare workers themselves.
“In the last one week, 75 healthcare workers were infected, but we can reduce this risk.
COVID-19 spike: We re running out of treatment facilities, FG cries out
By The Rainbow Listen to article
The Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, on Monday, raised the alarm that Nigeria had reached a critical level where hospital capacity could no longer cope with more serious COVID-19 cases.
According to him, health workers may be forced to make tough decisions.
“The country has reached a critical level where the hospital capacity will no longer be able to cope with more serious COVID-19 cases and health workers would be forced to make tough decisions.
Dr Ihekweazu gave the warning in Abuja at the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
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AS Nigeria crossed the 100,000 mark of confirmed COVID-19 cases, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has blamed the spike on increased travel, business activities, including social-related one and nightlife, religious programmes and reopening of schools without strict compliance with protocols.
Nigeria now ranks second highest in Africa in terms of the number of new cases of confirmed COVID-19, the PTF affirmed on Monday.
The Federal Government is, therefore, reviewing the date for resumption of schools nationwide earlier set for January 18.
Chairman of the task force and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, who disclosed this during its weekly media briefing in Abuja, pointed out that the number could be more, because many people with the infection may have been missed.
The Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, has warned that the Coronavirus pandemic is spreading fast, causing mild symptoms in some victims and severe illnesses and death in others.