Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, has urged Nigerian tailors to start mass-producing face masks, using the country’s local fabrics.
Mustapha said this at the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 press briefing on Thursday in Abuja against the backdrop of insufficient face masks in the country.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had recommended the use of cloth for face covering to help reserve surgical masks or N-95 respirators for medical professionals fighting the virus.
He said it was time for Nigerian tailors to start producing locally made face mask with “our fabric,” adding that with such move, the risk of infecting others would be reduced.
“It is critical to repeat, however, that compliance with the advisories for personal hygiene, social distancing, restriction of movement, early reporting of symptoms and wearing of masks regularly, especially in public, remain the best measures for the prevention of infections and to slow down the spread,” Mustapha said.
Mustapha said the PTF would continue to count on the cooperation of Nigerians in their effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Meanwhile, PTF National Coordinator, Dr Sani Aliyu, said that donors of palliatives should work with local authorities to ensure social order is maintained during distribution of essential items.
Aliyu appealed to survivors of COVID-19 to tell their stories at their own discretion.
