Youth Compact on COVID-19 is Set to Mobilize 10 Million Youths Nationwide
A humanitarian outfit, the Nigerian Youth Compact on COVID-19 is set to mobilize 10 million youths to serve as information agents to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
The Chairman, national steering committee of the group ‘Mallam Gambo Haruna’ announced this at the official unveiling of the Nigerian Youth Compact on COVID-19 in Abuja.
Earlier, the FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Aliyu, expressed optimism that Nigeria would come out stronger at the end of COVID-19 pandemic and also stated that the domestication of the Global Compact for Youth in Humanitarian Action and COVID-19 by the Nigerian Youth was commendable.
According to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Global Compact for Youth in Humanitarian Action and COVID-19 was launched recently at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, United States of America, where more than 50 International Agencies made commitments to support the Initiative at National levels, across the world.
Haruna, a NAN staff, said that the unveiling of the compact marked the beginning of a paradigm shift in youth response and engagement in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic that had taken its tolls on the global human population in all ramifications, especially in Nigeria.
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He explained that the aimed of the project was to domesticate the Global compact for youth in humanitarian action and COVID-19 to complement Federal Government’s efforts in the fight against the virus at all levels.
Haruna, therefore, said the compact was a wake-up call for all hands to be on deck in the humanitarian efforts to reduce the suffering of millions of Nigerians by addressing the humanitarian needs, risks and vulnerabilities.
According to him, the compact will form a framework for action, change and mutual accountability, against which youth can collectively assess and review progress during and beyond the pandemic.
“While recognizing the fact that the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, and the Federal and State Ministries of Health have the primary responsibility to mitigate the impact of the pandemic in the country.
“We are conscious of the fact that the government alone cannot win this battle. As such it needs to partner with the Civil Society Organizations to achieve the desired objectives.
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“The ‘Nigerian Youth Compact’, envisaged to engage about 10 million (10,000,000) Nigerian Youths in various Humanitarian and COVID-19 Response efforts across the country.
“These youth will serve as an information hub, where stakeholders can learn more about the pandemic and many of the major initiatives on COVID-19 and other humanitarian efforts.
“This, we hope, will be achieved through reliable and up-to-date information on the effects of COVID-19 on the Youth population, and how their response efforts from the Federal to community levels, can be obtained.
“The Compact will also serve as a dynamic advocacy and implementation tool for all stakeholders to advance their response efforts to the public domain and foster new commitments and partnerships.
“In the same vein, it will also provide report and testimony to the transformation that is taking place in various communities across the country.
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“This is imperative for creating opportunities for meaningful engagement of young people in the fight against the pandemic,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, says 18 per cent of passengers that arrived Lagos through Murtala Mohammed Airport cannot be traced for COVID-19 quarantine.
Sanwo-Olu made this known on Sunday in the update of the coronavirus pandemic situation in Lagos State.
He said that between May 8, 2021 and July 7, 2021, a total of 50,322 passengers of interest arrived in Lagos via the Murtala Mohammed Airport.
”Of the 50,322 passengers, 18 per cent could not be reached by EKOTELEMED because of the provision of either wrong numbers or wrong Nigerian contact details to be reached on,” the Chief Incident Commander said.
He said that it was the responsibility of passengers to ensure they provided the right details for them to be reached for proper monitoring.
”Going forward, passengers that do not provide the right details, including a phone number they can be reached for monitoring and an address for isolation, will face serious sanctions, including fines and imprisonment according to our Lagos State Coronavirus Law of 2021.
”As dictated by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 (PSC), passengers from red-listed countries (India, South Africa, Brazil and Turkey) are required to observe mandatory isolation.
”So far, we have successfully isolated 2,386 passengers in Lagos State. Of this number, 15 per cent have absconded,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He said that sanctions were being recommended and had already been meted out to defaulters.
The governor said that the sanctions for foreigners were revocation of their Permanent Residency and deportation; while for Nigerians were prosecution to the full extent of the Lagos State COVID-19 Law.
He also said that greater vigilance was required at this time in the churches and mosques and other places of religious worship.
Sanwo-Olu said that the state was pleased that religious houses were now open for worship, after the lengthy closures of 2020, however, worshippers must not be carried away by the illusion that all was now back to normal.
”This is especially critical, as Sallah approaches, in a little over a week from now.
”The festivities will no doubt bring people together in large numbers and create conditions that can sadly cause the spread of the coronavirus. We must not allow this to happen.
”For this reason, we are mandating full compliance with all protective protocols.
”There must be compulsory use of masks in all public places, social distancing, temperature checks, provisions for hand-washing and sanitisers, and a maximum of 50 per cent occupancy in enclosed spaces,” he said.
The Oyo State Coronavirus Task Force says it has uncovered the Delta variant of the virus in the state.
A statement by Mr Taiwo Adisa, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Seyi Makinde, issued on behalf of the taskforce on Sunday in Ibadan, said the general public should be informed of the Delta variant of the virus in the state.
Adisa said the State’s Incident Manager and coordinator of the Emergency Operations Centre, Dr Olabode Ladipo, has confirmed the development.
He said the general public should take extra caution and consistently apply all precautionary measures earlier released by the task force.
The statement read: “This strain has been associated with high transmission, increase severity of infection and outcomes.
“As such, this is to warn that the virus is still very much within the society.”
“All in-bound travellers should always isolate for seven days and submit themselves for tests.
“The ‘Own Your Action’ (OYA) initiative of the state government should be seriously considered by adhering to the guidelines of wearing nose masks in public gatherings, washing of hands with soap and water and use of hand sanitisers, among others.
“The State COVID-19 TaskForce hereby appeals to the good people of Oyo State to comply with these and other advisories as they apply to individuals and organisations.
“It would be appreciated if all in-bound travellers from abroad maintain the mandatory seven-day isolation and subsequent testing before mingling with the populace.
“In addition, residents are enjoined to seek medical care and cease the opportunity of free testing whenever they feel unwell.
“Vigilance on the parts of both the Government and the people will surely go a long way in stemming the transmission of this disease within the state”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on July 8 confirmed the index case of the deadly Delta variant in Nigeria.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has detected a confirmed case of the SARS-CoV-2, known as the Delta variant in Nigeria.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) in Abuja.
NAN reports that the deadly Delta variant is recognised by the World Health Organisation as a variant of concern.
The WHO said that the Delta variant was ‘dangerous’ and continued to evolve and mutate, and thus requiring constant evaluation and careful adjustment of the public health response.
Ihekweazu said the variant was detected in a traveller to Nigeria, following the routine travel test required of all international travelers and genomic sequencing at the NCDC National Reference Laboratory, Abuja.
“As part of Nigeria’s COVID-19 response, NCDC has been working with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) African Centre for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) and other laboratories within the national network to carry out genomic sequencing.
”This is to enable the detection of variants of concern and initiate response activities.
“All data on variants from Nigeria have been published on GISAID, a global mechanism for sharing sequencing data.
”Given the global risk of spread of the Delta variant, positive samples from international travelers to Nigeria are sequenced regularly.
“The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has initiated several measures to reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19.
”This includes the introduction of travel restrictions for countries where there is a surge in cases associated with widespread prevalence of variants of concern.
“The national travel protocol which includes compulsory seven-day self-isolation and repeat test on the seventh day after arrival, are in place to reduce the risk of spread of the virus.
”It is very important that this is strictly adhered to, to prevent a surge in COVID-19 cases in Nigeria,” he explained.
Given the high transmissibility of the Delta variant and following its detection in Nigeria, the NCDC boss urged all Nigerians to ensure strict adherence to public health and social measures in place.
“Proven public health and social measures such as physical distancing, frequent hand washing and proper use of face masks prevent infections and save lives.
”The COVID- 19 vaccine is safe and effective and offers protection against the disease,” he advised.
Additionally, he urged states to ensure sample collection and testing for COVID-19 was accessible to Nigerians.
“Public settings such as schools with accommodation facilities, workplaces and camps should utilise the approved Antigen-based Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) for rapid testing of their population,” he added.
He said although Nigeria had seen a low number of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria in the last eight weeks, it is incredibly important that we do not forget to be careful.
“Please protect yourselves and the people you love by adhering to the known public health and social measures, getting vaccinated if you are eligible and getting tested if you have symptoms.”
The NCDC boss said the recommended control measures to limit the spread of the new variant was continued testing, following the existing public health guidance and abiding by the current travel and public restrictions.
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