Worried by the resurgence of Coronavirus with no fewer than 48 new cases of infections so far recorded, the Akwa Ibom State Government has cancelled all state government events requiring large crowds and warned residents to imbibe all safety protocols.

Towards this end, the government has warned residents that it would enforce compliance to the rules strictly and wowed to sanction any defaulter of the COVID-19 guidelines after the state had recorded zero infections in recent months, but soon wake up to realize that the new spike in the pandemic could be so dangerous to the over six million population.
Secretary to State Government and Chairman/COVID-19 Management Committee, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, told a press conference in Uyo on Friday that extra caution would be taken against acts that could lead to another lockdown.

“Large political meetings are discouraged until the current spike of COVID-19 infections is reduced.
Religious leaders must adhere strictly to the guidelines and protocols for programmes as developed by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and submitted to the government.
“School administrators must ensure compulsory and proper use of face masks by students, teachers and everyone in the school premises. All COVID-19 guidelines and protocols must be strictly adhered to by everyone.

“Use of face masks remains compulsory in all public buildings, offices, public places, tricycles, buses, cars, churches, mosques, markets, hotels, schools, etc.
Social distancing must be maintained in all public events (indoor and outdoor), in tricycles, cars, taxis, buses, schools, churches, etc.
“Regular hand washing with running water including 6.4 per cent regular use of sanitizers in homes, offices, public buildings, schools, churches, mosques, hotels, markets, etc; Personal temperature measurements at entry points into all public buildings, churches, schools, etc; high body temperatures are to be reported to the nearest medical facility.

“Hotels, bars, night clubs, restaurants, fast food outlets and tourism resorts to adhere strictly to further specific guidelines and protocols as outlined by the COVID-19 Guidelines and Protocol Task Force of the Hotel and Tourism Management Board.
“All COVID-19 Guidelines and Protocol Compliance Monitoring Teams in Churches, Mosques, Markets, Motor Parks, checkpoints, etc, are hereby directed to increase the frequency, intensity, scope and scale of their monitoring activities,” Ekeuwem said.
Ekeuwem, therefore, called on Akwa Ibom people to help curb the rapid spread of the dreaded virus by undertaking all necessary precautionary measures as issued by the state government, National Commission for Disease Control (NCDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other relevant public health organizations.

He, however, assured that the state government is battle-ready to fight and contain the pandemic.
“We must act cautiously, not carelessly to keep safe and save others. Recently, the test results from our PCR laboratory clearly indicate a sharp increase in the number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our state,” he said.
Nigerian Tribune
