The Federal Government is set to release N36bn to states as part of measures to curb the rising COVID-19 cases and prevent the third wave of the virus.

The Benue State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Joseph Ngbea, who disclosed this in an interview with one of our correspondents on Wednesday, stated that the Federal Government promised to release the fund before the end of this month.

Ngbea also indicated that state commissioners of health would meet next week with the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 and the Federal Ministry of Health officials.

It was gathered that the meeting, would among others, map out ways to shore up testing, which according to a report by The PUNCH report on Friday dropped by 29 per in the last month.

This came to the fore as the country recorded 404 cases on Tuesday, the highest in the last month.

No fewer than 1,276 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the country between May 27 and June 27.

But between June 27 and July 27; 4,261 cases were recorded, representing an increase of 2,985 (233.93%) over 1,276 cases recorded between May 27 and June 27.

Recall that the World Bank Board of Directors had on August 7, 2020, approved a $114.28 financing to help Nigeria prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 with a specific focus on state-level responses.

According to the global body, through the COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Project, the government of Nigeria will provide grants to 36 and the Federal Capital Territory as immediate support to break the chain of COVID-19 local transmission and limit the spread of coronavirus through containment and mitigation strategies.

It stated the grants would be conditional on states adopting COVID-19 response strategies which were in line with the Federal Government guidelines and strategies.

At the peak of the first wave of the virus, the Federal Government in March last year approved the release of the N10bn grant to Lagos State to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Benue State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Ngbea, on Wednesday, told The PUNCH that the Federal Government would release the last tranche of COVID 19 funds which would be channelled to specific areas of anti-coronavirus war.

He stated, “The Federal Government is already assisting us. It is going to release another N1bn to each of the states as further support.

“The N1bn to each of the states is expected to be released by the end of July. That was what they told us. Already we are meeting in Abuja next week.”

The commissioner said that the money is the last tranche of COVID 19, adding that there are specific areas the money should be channelled to.

According to him, the Federal Government officials will together with their counterparts in each state plan how the money would be spent.

He stated, “The Federal Ministry of Health will send delegates and sit down with all the stakeholders in the health sector and fashion out what the money should be used for. This is what gives us an annual operation plan and it must be followed diligently. You cannot deviate from it. If it is for operational vehicles or building of a laboratory, it must be channelled to such.”

The commissioner stated that the state had intensified steps to carry out COVID 19 tests to stem the spread of the disease.

Ngbea said that four persons, who recently tested positive for COVID 19 were already in an isolation centre at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi.

He added that already the state had commenced tracing those who came in contact with them.

The commissioner stated, “We started testing yesterday (Tuesday). I earlier told you that four people tested positive and they are at an isolation centre at a teaching hospital (Benue State University Teaching Hospital).

“We have reagents and I have released N3m for surveillance and to start contact tracing of those who tested positive for COVID 19.

On its part, the Kano State Task Force on COVID-19 called on the Federal Government not to abandon states in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Task Force Coordinator, Dr Tijjani Husain, stated this in a telephone interview with The PUNCH in Kano on Wednesday.

He said there was still a need for the Federal Government to give technical and financial support to states to enable them to tackle the pandemic.

“No state will tell you it does not need any support either technical or financial. So, if the Federal Government can give technical or financial assistance, it will go a long way in checking the spread of the disease,” he said.

He said Kano State had stopped community testing because the number of cases had tremendously gone down, pointing out that the state had enough equipment and all that required materials for the treatment of the disease.

Hussain said,” We used to conduct community testing because then the number of cases were many but now that the cases are low that is why we suspended the community testing.”

The Akwa Ibom State Government said it would soon commence enforcement of COVID-19 prevention and safety protocols in public places.

The state Commissioner of Health, Prof Augustine Umoh, who stated this in a chat with The PUNCH in Uyo, said the state had directed that all protocols be imposed in public places such as mini-buses, churches and other worship centres.

“We had a press briefing on Thursday, July 22, 2021, and those protocols were imposed. We are giving the people little time to comply and if they don’t comply we will enforce. So, we are just giving them little opportunity to comply and very soon we will begin to enforce if they don’t comply” Umoh said.

On his part, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, said it was possible that residents of the state were no longer going for COVID-19 tests.

Omotoso, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said the state was still conducting free COVID-19 tests in all its sample collection centres.

He said, “To the best of my knowledge, we don’t have a problem with testing in Lagos State, maybe the people are not showing up for testing. If people show up, the test is still free.

“We have enough testing reagents and we are still testing in all the 57 sample collection centres.”