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The Akwa Ibom State government has announced further extension of the lockdown which has restricted the movement of people in the 31 local governments including the closure of markets and offices as well as businesses for additional one week.
The initial extension for one week was to expire this week but has now been moved to April 27.
Emmanuel Ekuwem, Secretary to the state government made the announcement while giving an update on the Coronavirus pandemic during a briefing.
The state has recorded 9 confirmed cases with one death with a total of 53 samples so far collected in the state with three clients discharged so far.
According to Ekuwem, after Monday April 27, the state government would provide an update on the pandemic whether the lockdown would be lifted.
“ In view of the critical situation that we are in as a nation and as a state, although it would have been desirable to call off the lockdown at this juncture, but given that we must ensure continuous safety of our citizens, the most ideal thing for now is to continue with the lockdown until Monday, April 27, 2020 where we will provide an update on the lockdown,’’ he said.
He said though there has been a pathetic rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in different parts of the world, the situation in Akwa Ibom State has been minimal saying that despite this, the state has felt directly and indirectly the socio-economic impact of the pandemic.
“The low incidence level of Coronavirus has not been without efforts and pragmatic inputs from the leadership of the state. The Governor, working with the COVID-19 Management Committee, the Incidence Management Committee, health workers and other stakeholders, has deployed resources, financial and material to ensure the pandemic is kept at bay for as much as possible.
He said there have been three reversed cases to negative that been discharged while there are five active cases and one dead, the sincerity of our government in the fight against the pandemic as not gone on noticed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
“In a recent publication by the national body, our contact-tracing scored 99%. Within a short period of time, the state government has a fully kitted Emergency Operation Centre, which comprises Call Centre, Situation Room and Isolation Centre at the Ibom Specialty Hospital.”
According to him, the three reversed cases of Coronavirus are evidence of the quality of healthcare available in our isolation centres. From the testimonies of the survivors, who were full of praises and prayers for the governor, the isolation environments were very comforting while they sojourned therein.
“The fight against the pandemic is akin to a war situation, where there is no room for jokes. Our experience at the Call Centre of the Emergency Operation Centre is that a few citizens have continued to make unnecessary calls, thereby obstructing genuine calls waiting to come in. Citizens should learn to direct calls not related to COVID-19 to appropriate quarters other than the call centre.
“Although, our isolation centres in Ikot Ekpene and at the Ibom Specialty Hospital are in top shape to accommodate any eventualities, the administration has intensified efforts at completing the 300-bed isolation centre at the General Hospital, Ituk Mbang. A few days back, our dear Governor visited the site to assess the level of work done so far. I am happy to let you know that the facility will soon be ready for use with state-of-the-art medical facilities. “
He urged healthcare professionals to do all they can, to protect themselves while he expressed deep concern, the spate of self-care and administration of drugs by some Physicians which has led to unpleasant consequences and advised healthcare professionals to avail themselves of the facilities provided by government to handle the Covid-19 pandemic and other medical challenges.
You are aware that our people have benefitted from the palliatives that emanated from kind-heartedness of our dear Governor.
He said that apart from reaching out to the over 3,000 villages in Akwa Ibom State with assorted food items like garri, rice, beans and flour, efforts have also been made to reach non-indigenes residing in the state in the distribution of the palliatives.
“ Although the food items were meant to ameliorate the hardship of the most vulnerable among us, a number of citizens who never needed such queued up to partake, resulting in mixed reactions.
“While those who really needed the items and actually got them and were appreciative of the good gesture of the Governor who was kind enough to remember them at a time like this, those who did not need the items but received them for whatever reasons, took to the social media to cast aspersions on the administration.”
He advised “that anyone who is able to provide for himself and family at such time as this, should for the sake of humanity steer clear of such items, so that those who truly need the items can have more to themselves.”
