The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma on Sunday announced the shutdown of the state secretariat till further notice as the country goes into a second phase of the coronavirus pandemic.
Recall that the Federal Government had announced the onset of the second wave of COVID-19 outbreak in the country.
Following the development, the governor who made the announcement during a live broadcast revealed new measures to avoid the spread of the virus.
He also banned gatherings of more than 100 persons in the state.
“I want to emphasise that there is an absolute need to avoid gathering of crowds of more than 100 people anywhere in the state. Where such crowds must gather, those involved MUST wear face masks. There should be wash handstands readily available with alcohol-based sanitisers at such gatherings.
“To further strengthen safety measures, all government workers are to stay at home from tomorrow, Monday, December 21, till further notice, except for permanent secretaries and political appointees.
“This means that the state secretariat, which is a major crowd puller, will remain closed, from tomorrow until further notice,” the governor said.
Uzodinma also ordered the compulsory use of face masks in public, noting that, “mobile courts have been deployed all over the state to try any person caught without wearing face masks.”
“Recent tests carried out in the state in accordance with the guidelines of the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, reveal an upward surge in the curve of the confirmed case.
“Already the effect of this frightful global resurgence and spike in the virus infections is manifest in the country and Imo State, therefore, drastic steps must be taken to stop the trend and avert imminent danger posed by the human traffic surge in the interest of everyone,” he added.
The Governor also directed that all COVID-19 safety protocols will be strictly enforced.
