Task force advises Bayelsa residents to embrace face masks
The Bayelsa state Task Force on COVID-19 has advised residents of the state to embrace the use of face masks in public places as a means of keeping coronavirus at bay.
Dr. Inodu Apoku, permanent secretary in the state’s Ministry of Health and chairman of the Bayelsa state Task Force on COVID-19 Implementation Committee, gave the advice in a statement on Sunday in Yenagoa.
“This initiative, which is in line with the directives handed down by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, is aimed at checking the spread of the virus in the country.
“We all are witnesses to the rise in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country in the past few days.
“The increase clearly is attributable to the refusal of people to obey preventive measures prescribed by the World Health Organisation, federal and state governments.
“In view of this rise, although we have not recorded any case as a state, we advise that everyone should take responsibility by applying the safety protocols which will ultimately contain the pandemic.
“Once again, we advise residents to apply personal hygiene such as frequent hand washing and maintaining social distancing as a way of avoiding being infected with the virus and breaking the transmission,” Apoku said.
Miebi James, a resident of the Amarata area of Yenagoa, said that the government should have led the campaign by making the facemasks available to the people at no cost, given the difficulties posed by the lockdown.
“What we saw in the distribution of the food items meant to help the poor and vulnerable in the society is very disappointing.
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“It is not enough to advise us to wear masks, they should think of procuring more to add to the quantities donated and share to the people.
“The level of hunger is very high and someone, who is hungry will naturally think of food before mask,” James said.
Checks indicated that surgical face masks used by medical personnel had been in demand, following the outbreak of the disease with one piece going for between N400 and N500.
