As the global pandemic continues to ravage the world since its emergence in 2019, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel has called on the people of the state to be cautious and vigilance, especially as Nigeria enters the COVID-19 third wave.
The Governor in the statement released on Thursday 22nd July 2021, by Comrade Ini Ememobong, who is the state’s Honourable Commissioner for Information & Strategy, issuing guidelines to the people of Akwa Ibom on the COVID-19 third wave, said the first cases of the coronavirus were diagnosed on April 1st 2020.
“Since then, His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel had put in place proactive measures to curb the spread of the virus. These include the establishment of the State Covid-19 Management Committee headed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and the Incident Management Committee to oversee and coordinate the overall response; the establishment of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), the construction of the 300-bed Infectious Diseases Control Center and the molecular laboratory, awareness creation on Covid-19, provision Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health workers and many more”Comrade Ini Ememobong said.
The statement by Comrade Ini Ememobong further stated that “While these measures had largely kept the number of cases in our climes to the barest minimum, evidence the world over now suggests a third wave of the pandemic hence the need for this press briefing and a call for caution and vigilance by every citizen of our state,” he said.
“Over the past two weeks, cases of covid-19 within the state have risen from five (5) to one hundred and fifty-six (156). This increase, when considered in the light of the new Delta variant of the virus, which has now been isolated in Nigeria, calls for a renewal of our collective effort at preventing the spread of Covid-19 virus infection in our state” he added.
Accordingly, the government calls on all citizens of the state to obey all Covid-19 guidelines and protocols earlier enunciated by both the government of the state and the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC), to wit:
❖ Use a face mask and use it properly ensuring that both the mouth and nose are properly covered
❖ Wash our hands regularly with soap and clean running water
❖ Use appropriate alcohol-based hand sanitiser
❖ Ensure social distancing of not less than one meter at all times.
Avoid overcrowded areas especially indoors. All non-essential social gatherings should be reconsidered with the view to drastically reducing the scale and scope or suspending the same at this time. These include Burials, weddings, birthday celebrations etc.
❖ Social distancing in tricycles and in Mini-buses and wearing of face masks are to be strictly complied with.
❖ Religious houses (churches and mosques) should run at half capacity and services should last not more than one (1) hour.