The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has declared Kogi a high-risk state for Nigerians to visit. The task force has also identified 22 high burdened Local Government Areas within 13 states in the country that has contributed over 95 per cent of new cases recorded in the last six weeks.

Dr Mukhtar Muhammad, the National Incident Manager (NIM) of the PTF COVID-19 pandemic disclosed in Abuja on Monday during the PTF briefing on COVID-19. 

He said the team has analysed the Covid19 pandemic in the country using the data made available by states.

He, however, noted that states like Yobe, Jigawa, Zamfara and Kebbi were not included as data from those regions were not forthcoming while Kogi has not been reporting coronavirus cases at all.

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 “We have states where data is not coming forth. If we don’t test, your data will not be analysed and if your data is not analysed, we won’t know the level of the pandemic in your state. “Notable among the states are Yobe, Jigawa, Zamfara and Kebbi and of course Kogi that has not been reporting at all. “States that are not testing are probably at much more higher risk than the states that are currently known as high burdened states. 

“A state that is not testing at all is an absolute high risk for Nigerians to visit because, there is no testing facility and even if you fall sick, there is no isolation center and they don’t even acknowledge that the disease exists. So for that reason, we put that state at the top of high risk states.”

Dr Muhammad said the 22 high burdened local government areas that have contributed over 95 per cent of new coronavirus cases recorded in Nigeria in the last 6 weeks are mostly in the cities of the state capitals. 

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The states and local government areas are Nkanu West (Enugu); Abuja Municipal (FCT); Gwagwalada FCT; Gombe (Gombe); Chikun (Kaduna); Kaduna North; Kaduna South; Nassarawa (Kano); Katsina (Katsina); Ilorin South (Kwara); Ilorin West (Kwara); Eti-Osa (Lagos); Ikeja (Lagos); Kosofe (Lagos); Lagos Mainland (Lagos); Keffi (Nasarawa); (Lafia) Nasarawa; Ibadan North (Oyo); Jos North (Plateau); Jos South (Plateau); Port-Harcourt (Rivers); and Wamako (Sokoto). 

Dr Mohammad said the PTF is currently to provide support to various states through their task forces towards implementing the Coronavirus Health Protection Law recently signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

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