COVID-19: Nigerians Pick Face Masks From Dump Sites To Sell

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has raised the alarm over an unhealthy practice of some Nigerians who pick face masks from rubbish dumps and sell them.

The Chairman of the task force and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, who raised the alarm at the PTF press briefing in Abuja, warned that such a practice would worsen the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Reviewing Nigerians’ adherence to the guidelines, Mustapha noted that people were still sharing face masks.

He said, “The unhealthy practice of picking disposed masks for whatever purpose is harmful to both the individual picking them and whoever procures them later.

“The PTF has become aware of the ongoing practice of sharing masks and picking of masks for recycling from dump sites. This places a lot of responsibility on all of us to be self-educated and to educate others.

“The following points are emphasised: Except for fabric masks, every disposable used mask is a hazardous medical waste and should be disposed of properly, preferably by burning.

“It is very risky to share masks as the virus is capable of remaining on surfaces for several hours and you could get infected.”