The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Tuesday gave an update on the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.

At the briefing which held in Lagos, the Chairman of the task force, Boss Mustapha, gave the opening remark while the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, also spoke to reporters.

Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, highlighted some of the new measures taken by the Federal Government to cushion the effect of COVID-19 on Nigerians.

He specifically thanked the Lagos State government for its efforts, as well as the people of the state for their cooperation to curtail the spread of the disease.

Mustapha, says the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 lacks the power to end or extend the lockdown imposed by the President.

“He (Buhari) and he alone will make the decision as to when the lockdown would either be extended or it will stop at the expiration of 14 days,” Mustapha said at the briefing of the task force which held in Lagos.

He, however, noted that the President would have to review the recommendations of the team set up to monitor the various measures to curtail the spread of coronavirus and cushion its effects on the people.

The SGF explained that members of the task force were in Lagos to inspect the isolation centres in the state, as part of the responsibilities of the team.

He said, “We are looking at the objectives that were set when the lockdown or the quarantine declaration was signed by the President, and subsequently by several other states.

“Before the end of the week, we will do an evaluation and part of the trip here was to do an evaluation to see how the objectives that were set were being met and at the end of that exercise, we would have the responsibility of reporting to Mr President.”

Mustapha recalled that the President had in his declaration explained how he arrived at the decision to impose the lockdown in the two states and the FCT.

According to him, President Buhari took the decision on the advice of the Minister of Health and the health experts when eventually led to the signing of the Quarantine Declaration 2020.

The SFG said at the end of the task force’s evaluation, some recommendations and advice would be presented to the President after which the Nigerian leaders would take the next step of action.

Mustapha, has expressed optimism that the current challenge of the ravaging Coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria would soon.

He equally commended efforts of the Lagos State Government towards curtailing the ravaging pandemic, saying, “Lagos is doing a great job” on containment of the pandemic and will soon be a thing of the past, in view of concerted and sustained efforts to curtail the pandemic in the country.

Mustapha, however, urged residents of the state to continue to give government the necessary support in the fight against COVID-19, in order to kick it out of the country.

The task force, accompanied by Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, inspected isolation facilities at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos Island; Mainland Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH, Yaba; University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Idi-Araba and Gbagada General Hospital, Isolation Centre, Gbagada.

Also in the entourage was Minister for Information and Culture, Lai Muhammed, among other personalities.

Speaking with newsmen, Chairman of the Taskforce said, “Thank you for the great job that you’re doing in supporting the work that is being undertaken by His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos State and his team.

“We’ve just taken a tour of this facilities that is very important place in anticipation that we’ll have to receive patients here.

“So far, I think Lagos State is doing a great job. From what I’ve seen here, they’re putting up a first class and a world class facility that will help us in the management of those that are affected with COVID-19.”

“I think we are on course and the basic strategy of the national response is containment, try as much as possible to reduce spreads to tracking of those that have already been infected so that we minimize the case of community transmission.

“We are doing very well. So far, processes that have been put in place, the plans, the objectives are being achieved.

“I listened to the briefing of the commissioner for Lagos State yesterday, where there was quite a clear indication that the reason for the lockdown and the processes that have been put in place is achieving its desired objective.”

Mustapha, charged the media to continue to broadcast to the people on the need to “maintain social distancing, we need to maintain personal hygiene and we need to report anybody within the community who has shown symptoms of the infection, so that as quickly as possible, the help that is desired can be extended to those persons. So thank you very much.”

in a related development, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has announced the discharge of yet another female patient from the isolation centre in Yaba, after testing negative to the Coronavirus Disease.

“It is with immense joy, I announce the discharge of another patient (a female), who has fully recovered from our facility at Yaba. This brings to 32, the number of patients we have successfully managed and discharged in Lagos.

“I look forward to sharing more great news in the coming days. This is indicative of the successes we are recording in our offensive against #COVID19. We are resolute in our resolve, we have the upper hand, we are winning and victory is surely ours,” the governor said.