The Abia State government has threatened to place a total ban on public gathering if citizens continued with flagrant disobedience to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) protocols on Covid-19.
Chris Ezem, secretary to Abia State Government and Chairman Inter-ministerial committee on Covid-19, made the threat in Umuahia South Local Government Area of the state during the flag-off ceremony of ‘Breaking the chain of transmission of Covid-19 through community surveillance and testing.’
Ezem, who said that Abia was the first state to embark on the community testing, extolled Governor Ikpeazu for the novel exercise.
He enjoined Abians to take the exercise seriously, adding that for one to test positive did not mean a death sentence.
“If you test negative does not mean you are free but to be more cautious. We are out to break the chain through those who have been tested positive,
“We are targeting 10,000 persons within a short time in the state. In the next two weeks if people fail to maintain the protocols of Covid-19, we ban weddings and burial ceremonies,” Ezem said.
Joe Osuji, Abia commissioner for health, in his speech said the Covid-19 pandemic had brought the entire world to its knees.
He recalled that since Abia recorded its first two index cases, the number had risen to over 380.
Osuji disclosed that Governor Ikpeazu mandated 10,000 rural testing in communities so as to break the chain of transmission, adding that the state government would continue to mobilise Covid-19 leading team.
He disclosed that the exercise would start off with Umuahia South, Ikwuano and Isiala Ngwa LGAs.
