Enugu State Advises Residents To Go For COVID Test

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Ignatius Okpara, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Tuesday, February 2nd, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – As new cases of the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic continues to escalate in parts of Nigeria since the inception of the second wave, the Enugu State Government has urged all residents of the area to go for test for the disease for effective prevention and possible cure.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ikechukwu Obi, made the appeal Monday in Enugu while briefing newsmen during a press conference organised by the State Ministry of Information to acquaint members of the public via the media on the present situation of the pandemic in the state.

He explained that the number of samples tested at various sample collection centres would help the government to plan for intervention.

The Health Commissioner. who addressed the Journalists alongside his information counterpart, Barrister Chidi Aroh, disclosed that sample collection centres were in all the 17 Councils Areas of the state, adding that people should go to the centres to get tested.

He said: “the government is not happy with the response it is getting from the sample centres because people are not coming out for tests.

“We need correct figures and data from the sample centres to work effectively

“When you get tested, you provide valuable evidence and data for us to work with.

“The data for public health helps in our responses, it is about the number of cases that determine the action the ministry of health, the government and stakeholders should take.

“If we do not have the correct data, we will not be taking the correct responses,” he said.

According to him, the international partners and agencies that help to support disease control in the world work with figures and data.

The commissioner said that one of the best ways to prevent the pandemic was the use of non-pharmaceutical measures, which include all the COVID-19 rules.

He added that non-pharmaceutical intervention included the same old hand washing, wearing of face mask, physical distance, using sanitizers, among others.

“It is important for us to wear face masks to avoid getting the virus as well as saving others,” he said.

Obi warned against residents going to take vaccines from unauthorised places or persons in the state.

The Commissioner stated that all vaccinators must have a due authorisation and authority paper from the ministry.

He, however, called on residence to allay fear from people on the COVID-19 Vaccine.

“People with negative conspiracy theories on the anticipated Federal Government COVID-19 vaccine should stop the rumour.

“We are here as a ministry to safe-guard the health of our people and lead them to the right path that would continue to guarantee their health and well-being,’’ he said.

The commissioner thanked all health workers in the ministry for their tireless effort in fighting against the pandemic in the state.

He hinted that as at Feb. 1, the Enugu state has a total number of 1,738 non confirmed cases, 1,421 of discharge cases, active cases stands at 296 while the number of deaths is 21.

On his part, the State Commissioner for Information, Barr. Aroh said that Enugu State community engagement, sensitization and mobilization of people were total.

He said the state government had engaged the entire 429 autonomous communities in the state, religious leaders, among others on COVID-19 sensitisation processes.

Aroh, stressed that if the public would make it a duty of wearing face masks, the spread of the pandemic would be reduced by up to 90 percent.