Governor Okezie Ikpeazu said the State has dispatched its frontline officers on rigorous contact tracing exercise in direct response to the index cases of Coronavirus that have emerged in the State.
Governor Ikpeazu made the disclosure during a Press conference held at Government House, Umuahia following two confirmed cases of Covid-19 pandemic in the State.
According to the Governor, the massive contact tracing shall continue
across the Local Governments where these index cases have been associated with in the past including Ikwuano, Ukwa West as well as Umuahia North.
“The State shall embark on a massive community testing, drawing samples from ward to ward even in Local Government Areas that are remote to the target LG that are described above,” he said.
Ikpeazu, who described the significance of the index cases in Abia as being in multiple fold said the implementations of this is that everybody now believes that Covid-19 is real.
He said that a close study of the patients indicate that they are septuagenarians with no previous history of travel at least in the recent past makes their case look like a case of community transmission until further study proves otherwise.
The index cases, according to him, have ‘placed on us the additional burden to make sure that we recall every protocol and directive that govt has enunciated obtaining from what NCDC is directing to us, as a way of keeping ourselves safe from Covid-19.’
“The days ahead in Abia, on account of these two index cases, will be difficult and it calls for more courage and commitment, not only in the hands of our frontline officers, but indeed all citizens, ” he said.
The State Chief Executive identified some other measures that will be taken to include.
“Government will provide PPE which is required to protect our medical and paramedical personnel that are on the frontline of this battle.
“We are going to send, immediatly, a consignment of additional PPE and equipment including oxygen concentrator and pressure monitor, to FMC to support the managing of index cases at hand.
“Government will insist that all our borders shall remain locked till further notice.
And may I cease this opportunity to urge all our law enforcement agencies to redouble in support of our local youths and vigilantes on the border patrol.”
Ikpeazu insisted that it is no longer a time for anybody to compromise for whatever reason as he emphatically declared that “Covid-19 is real and it is here with us.”
He further disclosed that Government will treat any individual or citizen that undermines its effort to keep the rest of us safe as a saboteur and will ensure that such a person faces the full weight of the law.
He used the forum to remind Abia citizens that wearing of masks in Abia State has become compulsory and with the establishment of mobile court in Aba and Umuahia, we will ensure the arrest and prosecution of any defaulter.
He encouraged everyone to continue to practice social distancing and imbibe the strict rules of personal hygiene including hand washing as well as the use of hand sanitizers
Accordingly, “The private clinic where this one of the persons was treated is hereby closed to public until properly disinfected while all the doctors and nurses who attended to them shall remain quarantined until the result of their test is returned,” Ikpeazu said.
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