10% COVID-19 Cases In Nigeria Are Children – Health Minister

The Minister of State, Health, Sen. Olorunnimbe Mamora, says 10 per cent of positive COVID-19 cases are children and adolescents with more than half of them in the age bracket of 10-18 years.

Mamora disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing, as the country prepares to reopen schools.

This was even as the PTF coordinator on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu, explained that schools must put in all safety measures recommended by the PTF before they could reopen.

Calling for caution, the minister said, “With 10 per cent of positive cases being children, it is therefore pertinent at this point to renew the warning of the PTF on the reopening of schools so as not to expose our children to the risk of infections.”

On the current COVID-19 cases, he said, “The total number of positive cases recorded in Nigeria is 55,632 of a total of 433,206 samples tested.”

“In the last 24 hours, we recorded 176 positive cases out of 2,494 samples tested.

“We continue to record low positivity rate even as the number of samples tested has increased, while this is a cheering development, it will be presumptuous to conclude that the disease is reducing.

“This is because as of today, not many states are testing. We shall therefore ensure that testing continues in all the states until we reach our daily targets,” Mamora said.

The minister further called for synergy between state governments and medical workers in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.