The rationale behind the decision of Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, the Director General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), to not wear face masks, was revealed during joint briefings with the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
Dr. Chikwe explained that face masks should be reserved for those infected, or for medical frontline personnel attending to suspected cases or treating COVID-19 patients. He also disclosed that the country is yet to formulate a policy for wearing face masks.
Addressing the issue, he stated;
“This is a strategy we need to consider before implementation. Before we implement a national strategy around mask-wearing, we have to ensure that we can provide it or at least enable access to it. We will conduct a risk assessment and make a decision based on the evidence and the ability to provide every Nigerian with access to masks.”
The NCDC director also revealed that the NCDC is finalizing the face mask policy, which is currently undergoing review within the agency.
He added;
“Last week, I mentioned that we would release a policy on face masks. That policy is almost finalized. In fact, the draft is now under review by various colleagues to ensure alignment. By tomorrow or the day after, we will release the policy for all of us to adhere to.”