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| Taraba Governor Darius Ishaku |
Six persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Taraba state.
The news of the six confirmed cases was reported by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), after samples taken from the victims who are being quarantined at the NYSC Isolation Center, Sibre, tested positive.
Governor Darius Ishaku also confirmed the report in a state broadcast on Monday.
Since the global outbreak of the pandemic, Taraba had maintained a zero status until Wednesday.
Governor Ishaku said he was shocked over report of the sudden six index cases. He, however, told Tarabans not to panic.
โI wish to assure the people of Taraba State that this is not a time for panic as government is on top of the situation.
โAdditional manpower and resources have been mobilised and deployed to trace contacts of all those that have tested positive to the Coronavirus, immediately.
โLet me assure you (Tarabans) that we are prepared, 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.
โIn the meantime, we are in the process of completing a one hundred bed capacity isolation centre with the assistance of Access Bank.
โTarabans should, therefore, be rest assured that their protection is paramount and government will do all within its powers to checkmate widespread of the virus,โ he stated.
Ishaku said it was unfortunate that the reported outbreak came about despite the robust proactive steps taken by his administration to prevent the virus from entering Taraba State.
It was gathered that the persons who tested positive are among 130 interstate travellers from Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Borno, Ogun and Lagos states intercepted at the stateโs borders.
The committee on Covid-19 in the state, headed by the Commissioner of Health Innocent Vakkai, 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.
Governor Ishaku said: โWe 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 COVID 19 who are presently at the NYSC isolation centre, Sibre.
โI, therefore, commend the proactive steps of the committee which led to the isolation and identification of the reported cases.
โYou 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.
โWe also temporarily closed places of worship, schools, markets and other public places that attract large crowds.
โIn addition, government had also rolled out intensive sensitisation and advocacy programmes using our two religious bodies (Christianity and Islam) and traditional institutions as well as the media.
Ishaku said the situation in Taraba demands strict adherence to preventive measures approved by the World Health Organisation endorsed by NCDC and adopted by his administration, such as regular washing of hands, use of sanitizers, social distancing and avoidance of handshakes.
โWe in Taraba State should continue to practice these habits as regular new ways of social interaction to keep the virus in check.
โOur lockdown measure which is meant to encourage people to stay at home is not negotiable.
โSecurity agencies are to ensure that interstate travelers are prevented from coming into the State and that those who are already in the State stay at home,โ Ishaku said.
The governor acknowledged that the measures come with a lot of inconveniences to the people, but they must adopt them in order to save lives.
โGovernment will do everything possible to ameliorate the suffering of those that may be adversely affected by these measures,โ he assured.
