COVID-19: US Hands Over 200 Ventilators To Nigeria

 

The United States Government has handed over 200 ventilators to the Nigerian government.

The items were presented on Tuesday by the U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Bert Leonard at the Abuja premier medical warehouse in the nation’s capital

This comes four months after President Donald Trump administration promised to support the country with ventilators as the Federal Government battles the COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged the world.

According to the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, the call which was at the request of the American President centred on Nigeria’s response to COVID-19 pandemic.

Mohammed revealed that the conversation of both leaders centred on the efforts of the Nigerian government to tackle the coronavirus pandemic.

Although Nigeria reported 1,337 confirmed COVID-19 cases with its death toll at 40 as of April 26, the number of infections has however risen to 46,867 with 950 fatalities recorded as of August 10.

‘There Could Be Regrets’

Worried by the number of fatalities from COVID-19 in the country,  the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, had warned that Nigeria could regret if people do not adhere to protocols put in place by the government and relevant agencies.

Dr Ehanire issued the warning during a briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 in Abuja on Monday.

The Minister reminded Nigerians that until a vaccine is found for the virus, adherence to the guidelines is the surest way to stay safe.

“Until there is a vaccine, the only options we have to protect ourselves, are still the non-pharmaceutical measures that are proven to be cheap and effective, such as the appropriate use of face masks, physical distancing, and avoiding crowds. If we do not adhere, there could be regrets,” he warned.

Global View

More than 20 million coronavirus cases have been now been registered across the world, over half in the Americas, according to an AFP tally of official sources at 2215 GMT on Monday.

At least 20,002,577 cases and 733,842 deaths have now been reported. More than four out of 10 coronavirus cases have been in the United States and Brazil, the two most affected countries in the world.

While the US has logged 5,075,678 cases and 163,282 deaths, Brazil has recorded 3,057,470 infections and 101,752 deaths.