COVID -19: Commissioner says Delta on red alert to contain incidence

COVID-19: Commissioner says Delta on red alert to contain incidence

Covid-19
By Ifeanyi Olannye

Asaba, March 16, 2020(NAN) The Delta Commissioner for Health, Dr Mordi Ononye, says the state government has put modalities in place to contain any incident of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the state.

Ononye said this on Monday in Asaba during a joint press briefing with the Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, and the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Chiedu Ebie.

He said that the state’s Rapid Response Team (RRT), an emergency committee set up following the outbreak of COVID-19, was on top of the issue.

The commissioner said that the government would not ban social gatherings, but “all such gatherings must observe caution to ensure safety”

Ononye urged residents of the state to imbibe good sanitary habits by ensuring regular hand washing, use of sanitisers and avoiding handshake.

He said that the state government was working in partnership with other stakeholders to contain any incident of the disease.

Dr Ann Ojimba, Incident Manager, Emergency Operation Committee for COVID-19, said the isolation center of the  Federal Medical Center (FMC) in Asaba had been well equipped to contain any eventuality.

He said that all the 11 facilities in the state had holding centers, assuring that there was no need to panic.

“Our public health centres are on red alert, we are trying to do what we call active surveillance and intensive risk communication to mitigate the incidence of the disease.

“We have to develop new culture, new habit of not touching our face, no more handshaking, but with elbow,” he said.

Dr Belu Abaye, Head, Nigeria Centre For Disease Control (NCDC) in Delta, said the state had moved from watch mode to alert mode in trying to contain any case of COVID-19.

He said that there was no incidence of coronavirus in the state and cautioned against rumour mongering.

Abaye urged the media to disseminate accurate information about the virus to the public for proper understanding. (NAN).

IO/AZU/TA

Edited by Azubuike Okeh/Tajudeen Atitebi