There was high tension in Taraba on Monday as the Nigeria Center for Disease Control NCDC), confirmed six coronavirus cases in the state.
The six cases were the first to be confirmed in Taraba since the outbreak of the virus.
In a state broadcast Monday afternoon, the Taraba state governor Darius Ishaku urged citizens of the state not to panic, explaining that the government was on top of the situation.
”We all woke up this morning to the shocking news of six confirmed cases of Covid-19 by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, from samples taken from persons already quarantined by the State Task Force on Coronavirus who are presently at the NYSC isolation centre, Sibre.
“The persons are among 130 interstate travellers from Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Borno, Ogun and Lagos states intercepted at our borders. You will recall that the committee had earlier intercepted on two occasions 65 and 59 persons from Ogun state en route to Adamawa state and were allowed to proceed amid tight security.
“I, therefore, commend the proactive steps of the committee which led to the isolation and identification of the reported cases. I wish to assure the good people of Taraba State that this is not a time for panic as Government is on top of the situation. Additional manpower and resources have been mobilized and deployed to trace contacts of all those that have tested positive to the coronavirus, immediately,” the governor said.
He said it was quite unfortunate that the reported outbreak came about despite the robust proactive steps taken by the state to prevent the virus from entering the State.
“You will recall that immediately the index case was identified in the country, we took a number of preventive steps such as the closure of our land borders with neighbouring states as well as the international boundary with the Republic of Cameroon. We also closed temporarily places of worship, schools, markets and other public places that attract large crowds.
“In addition, the government had also rolled out intensive sensitization and advocacy programmes using our two religious bodies, traditional institutions as well as the media,” the governor recalled.
He assured Tarabans of the government’s preparedness having already identified two treatment centres located at the State Specialist Hospital, Jalingo and the Federal Medical Center also in Jalingo with the combined capacity to handle 22 cases.
He announced that the government was in the process of completing a one hundred-bed capacity isolation centre with the assistance of Access Bank. He said Tarabans should, therefore, rest assured that their protection is paramount and that government would do all within its powers to checkmate widespread of the virus.
He said the situation in the state demanded strict adherence to preventive measures approved by the World Health Organisation endorsed by NCDC and adopted by the state administration such as regular washing of hands, use of sanitizers, social distancing and avoidance of handshakes. These have proved globally as effective ways of checking the spread of the virus, he said.
“We in Taraba State should continue to practise these habits as regular new ways of social interaction to keep the virus in check. Our lockdown measure which is meant to encourage people to stay where they are is not negotiable,” he said.
He said that the security agencies are to ensure that interstate travellers are prevented from coming into the State and that those who are already in the State stay at home.
“I am aware that these measures come with a lot of inconveniences to the people, but we must adopt them in order to save lives. Government will do everything possible to ameliorate the suffering of those that may be adversely affected by these measures,” the governor said.
