Maurice Iwu, the chairman of the Imo State Taskforce Committed on COVID-19, has announced the shutdown of State House of Assembly for two weeks to enable the Taskforce fumigate the premises and allow House members, management and Staff to go into self- isolation for 14 days.
Iwu said the measure was taken after a member of the House tested positive for Covid-19, a development that the taskforce said constituted a very serious danger to other members, management and staff of the Assembly complex.
Briefing newsmen in his office on Tuesday on the Covid-19 pandemic as it concerns Imo Sate, Iwu a professor, said the scare at the Assembly was real and that there was a need to take proactive measures to protect the people using the complex as office.
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He further declared that the Committee had embarked on enhanced screening of Imolites on Covid-19 and that, so far, the State had tested 760 people with 135 testing positive out of which 92 are active cases.
This was contained in a press release signed by Oguwike Nwachukwu, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hope Uzodimma and made available to BusinessDay.
Iwu said that 43 patients of coronavirus in the state have been discharged while one death has been recorded. According to him, the death case was a lady who was delivered of a set of twins and was in the custody of the Taskforce before delivery.
The Chairman further explained that currently, Imo State has four positive cases in the isolation centre at Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri, another four at Woddi Centre also in Owerri, while others are at different isolation centres across the state.
He emphasised that the Committee had worked out a plan to ensure that the health of Imo citizens is guaranteed by ensuring that they do not compromise social harmony. “Hence, social harmony is important in the strategic plan to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Iwu reiterated the earlier warning on the three categories of people that are more vulnerable to the virus to include elderly people of 65 years and above, people with underlining ailments and medical professions who come in daily contact with the carriers.
He appealed everyone to join hands with the State Government, the Taskforce Committee and the World Health Organization (WHO) to observe all laid down protocols) such as regular hand washing, use of alcohol-based sanitiser, maintaining social distancing, putting on face mask and reporting any emergency illness that has to do with coughing, sneezing and difficulty in breathing, to the nearest medical authority.
