Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, has described as mischievous and false the information being peddled by social media platforms on the status of Coronavirus disease in the state.
He insists there is no confirmed case of the virus anywhere in the state
Speaking during a state wide broadcast on Saturday, Governor Emmanuel said his administration had put in place adequate measures to curtail the spread of the dreaded Coronavirus in the state.
“You may have read a rash of mischievous information peddled by certain media platforms on the status of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in our State.
“I want to assure the public that the rumours and information going around on social media are completely false. For emphasis, let me state here unequivocally that there is no confirmed case of COVID-19 disease in Akwa Ibom State as I speak to you.
“As a matter of fact, the measures put in place at our Airport is comprehensive and has no parallel anywhere in West Africa,” The Governor said.
He disclosed that his administration through the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dominic Ukpong, had set up an Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Task Force several weeks before the first confirmed case of Corona Virus in Nigeria was recorded.
The Governor listed some of the measures taken to curtail the spread of the disease to include creating awareness through the media, both print and electronic, to sensitise the residents with relevant information on COVID-19 infection.
He also said a sensitisation and awareness campaigns have been taken to all nooks and crannies of the State, including Local Government Offices, Traditional Institutions, Religious bodies, educational institutions, Public and Private hospitals in addition to the surveillance, prevention and infection control measures instituted in the various hospitals:
He added that government has procured and distributed Personal Protective Equipment to all health facilities to facilitate infection prevention and control.
According to him screening equipment including Infra-red thermometers, hand sanitizers have been procured and instituted at various entry points to the State, adding that functional ambulances and rapid response teams are on standby to move suspected or confirmed cases, if any, to the Emergency Operation Centre at Ikot Ekpene.
The Emergency Operation and Treatment Centre, in Ikot Ekpene, according to Governor Emmanuel is ready to serve as an isolation/treatment centre to receive, and care for any confirmed case of COVID-19 infection if it occurs.
Emmanuel who noted the State Ministry of Health is in constant communication with National Centre for Disease Control and the Directorate of Public Health Services said with the stringent measures put in place, there was no need to shut down institutions in the state
“Given the measures aforestated, it is our belief that there is no need to shut down our public schools, which are supposed to close in a week’s time” he said
