The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has warned Nigerians against going to five states in the northern part of Nigeria, especially Kogi, as it has been unable to confirm the level of spread of the pandemic in the states.

Besides Kogi, other states mentioned by the task force were Yobe, Jigawa, Zamfara and Kebbi.

The PTF also named 22 local government areas spread across 13 states which he said constituted over 95 per cent of infection rates in the country and had been classified as high-burdened.

The National Coordinator of the PTF, Dr Sani Aliyu, made this known at the media briefing by the task force on Monday.

But in its reactions, Zamfara State Government kicked against the PTF’s statement, saying the state was COVID-19 free.

Aliyu, who was represented by the National Incident Manager, PTF, Dr Muktar Mohammed, said the task force had analysed the epidemic in the country and identified 22 high-burdened LGAs located within 13 states.

Mohammed listed the states and local governments to include Nkanu-West, Enugu; Abuja Municipal Area Council and Gwagwalada, FCT; Gombe, Gombe; Chikun, Kaduna-North and Kaduna South, Kaduna; Nassarawa, Kano; Katsina, Katsina; Ilorin-South, Ilorin-West, Kwara; Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Kosofe, Lagos Mainland; Keffi and Lafia, Nasarawa; Ibadan-North Oyo; Jos-North, Jos-South, Plateau; Port-Harcourt, Rivers; and Wamako, Sokoto.

He said, “These local government areas which are mostly in the cities or the state capitals contribute over 95 per cent of the epidemic, particularly new cases in the country.

“The states include Nasarawa, which has both Lafia and Keffi; Plateau, Jos-North and Jos-South; Rivers, which is Port Harcourt; Katsina; Sokoto; Kaduna, both Kaduna-North, Kaduna-South and Chikun LGAs; about five local government areas in Lagos; FCT, AMAC and Gwagwalada; Enugu; Gombe; Kano; Kwara, Ilorin-South and Ilorin-North.

“These LGAs, as I mentioned, contribute over 95 per cent of the new cases that have been recorded in the last six weeks.”

Speaking on the high-risk states, Aliyu said, “In addition to this, we have states where data are not coming forth. If you don’t test, your data will not be analysed. If your data is not analysed, we won’t know the level of the epidemic in your state.

“Notable among the states that have not been reporting adequately are Yobe, Jigawa, Zamfara and Kebbi; and of course, Kogi State that has not been reporting at all.

“States that are not testing are probably at much higher risk than the states that currently we are as high-burdened states. A state that is not testing at all is at absolute high risk for Nigerians to go there because there is no testing facility.”

The PTF also said the second batch of travellers to be placed on six-month travel ban would be announced this week.

Nigeria expects 16 million doses of Astrazeneca vaccine this month

The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Faissasl Shuaib, disclosed that Nigeria is expecting 16million doses of Astrazeneca vaccine this month.

This, he said, would replace the 100,000 Pfizer vaccine earlier been expected.

Shuaib said, “The African Union Commission through the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team portfolio has approved approximately 41m doses of a combination of Pfizer/BioNTech, AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccines in March/April 2021.

“Furthermore, the COVAX facility has informed us that they will be supplying Nigeria with approximately 16 million doses of Astrazeneca vaccine this month.

“This will replace the earlier communicated 100,000 doses of Pfizer mRNA vaccine, which was grossly inadequate.”