The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, says President Muhammadu Buhari will determine when to lift the lockdown order in Lagos, Abuja and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Ehanire disclosed this on Sunday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics regarding efforts made by the Federal Government to tackle COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

“The President will make that announcement in his own time. We will give him the facts, he will consider the facts and make his own announcements using his own wisdom,” the Minister said.

In order to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in the country, President Buhari had on May 29 declared a total lockdown.

While directing the cessation of all movements in Lagos and the FCT for an initial period of 14 days, Buhari asked all citizens in the affected areas to stay in their homes, adding that travel to or from other states should be postponed.

Two weeks after the expiration, the President extended the lockdown on April 13 for another two weeks.

But when asked if it is professionally wise to relax the lockdown or to extend it, the Minister did not affirm or oppose the question.

He believes that every country has the right to balance the medical and health-related benefits from the economic-related benefits.

According to him, the decision on whether or not to extend the lockdown has to be tailored according to the needs of Nigerians.

“What happens is that every country, you balance the medical and the health-related benefits from the economic-related benefits because you have an economy you don’t want to kill and you also have the health side that you don’t want to destroy.

“It’s a very delicate balance which you need to do. All countries do that; it’s not only in our country. Even in the United States, they have that debate all the time. Do we open the economy now or do we not open it now?” he said.

Speaking on the mysterious deaths in Kano, the Minister explained that a delegation will be sent to the state to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the loss of lives there.

He said that the government had been studying the case in Kano State with their authorities, adding that the ministry would be sending high ranking fact finding missions to there.

Ehanire said that the fact finding mission would meet with the governor to be able to diagnose the situation, adding it was not really clear if they were COVID-19 related.

Ehanire said that the fact finding mission would also looked at if their would be room for improvement in the state’s response activities on COVID-19, like surveillance, testing, case finding, contact tracing and isolation.

“Kano does not have experience with COVID-19 and the rate it has exploded should be of concern to all.

”It is possible to be able to contain it, if the right processes are followed and the right resources are brought in.

“The testing center should be back on stream tomorrow because a team has gone there now from NCDC and have arrived there today. They should be able to resumed screening tomorrow (Monday).

“In addition, we are going to have a second laboratory, we shall have a PCR laboratory, so we should be able to take care of the backlogs and be ready to take care of any other samples that will be brought in, from the seven or eight local government areas that are affected,” he said.

The minister said that Lagos State had a mechanism that was well oiled compared to Kano State, that were of the same population density, adding that Lagos was able to respond to COVID-19 quickly and aggressively because of the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

He said that with the resources Kano State has, they were trying their best but, definitely they do not have the strength that Lagos has and their human resources were doing their best, but there was also need for re-enforcement.

Ehanire said that the ministry would be sending human resources and materials resources PPRs and laboratory reagents and testing swabs, all of which would come in to the place, if requested.

The minister said that about 40 health workers tested positive for the virus in the country, adding that not all were infected in the line of duty.