COVID-19: Abia government orders closure

The Abia government, on Saturday, orders the closure of all land borders, as part of its efforts to prevent the outbreak of Coronavirus in the state.

This was contained in a statement issued by Chief John Okiyi-Kalu, the state Commissioner for Information, and made available to newsmen in Umuahia.

Okiyi-Kalu said that the directive had become necessary in view of the outbreak of COVID-19 in some parts of the country.

He said that the land border closure would take effect from 4 am. on March 29.

According to him, security agencies, traditional rulers and youths in the state are to ensure total compliance with the directive.

“All necessary measures, including total blockage of the borders, will be put in place until further notice.

“Particular efforts will be geared towards stopping those who may attempt to sneak into the state, either at night or at dawn, until further notice,” the commissioner said.

He added that traditional rulers and security agencies had been mandated to ensure that persons identified to have returned from Lagos, Abuja and overseas were made to observe self-isolation for at least 14 days.

Okiyi-Kalu urged the people of the state to report any strange incident or observation within their neighborhood regarding COVID-19 to relevant agencies for prompt action.