COVID-19: Rivers declares compulsory use of face masks in public places

In continuation of the fight to check the spread of coronavirus, the Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Wike, has announced the compulsory use of face masks in the state.

Governor Wike also stated that the state security council would in the next 24 hours, take stringent measures against commercial transport operators for their failure to observe social distancing.

He said: “The wearing of face masks in all public places is now compulsory throughout the state.

“The state security council will meet in the next 24 hours to consider and approve necessary mitigating measures for commuters, including the deployment of government buses to shuttle designated public routes free of charge,” he said.

The governor said though the state government agreed with President Muhammadu Buhari on the gradual re-opening of the country, it would continue to take critical steps on the peculiarities of the state.

“While we agree with Mr. President’s decision to gradually re-open the country for business, we shall be guided by the peculiarities of our state on when to relax the measures we have put in place and gradually restore business activities in the state.

“Until then, I wish to restate that we love all residents of Rivers state. Please, maintain social distancing, stay at home, wear face masks in public places and stay safe,” he said.

The governor warned that the state government would impose a complete lockdown of Rumuokoro, Elimgbu and Rumukurushi if they continued with night markets and total disregard of government directive on social distancing.

He said: “Community leaders and residents in Rumuokoro, Elimgbu, and Rumukurushi are hereby warned for the last time to either comply with our directives on social distancing and desist all business activities, including night markets or risk a total lockdown in these areas and the permanent closure of the Rumuokoro (Oil mill) Market.”

Speaking on the state of COVID-19 transmission, Governor Wike recounted the pattern of transmission and the obvious sabotage by security agencies which had frustrated efforts to check the spread of coronavirus.

He said: “The logical conclusion therefore, is that the pattern of transmission of COVID-19 in the state is evidentially predicated on outside importation, just as the rate of infection and progression is also relatively low and arithmetical, when considered from the date of the index case.

“Generally, we believe that unless there is a sudden and vertical slide into community transmission, we expect our COVID-19 infection and prevalent rate to continue along this low trajectory.

READ ALSO: Sell presidential fleet, reduce civil service to save economy, Atiku tells Buhari

“This is not to say that we are at the peak of this crisis and that everything about the containment and transmission of COVID-19 is under control.

“No; we are not because of the challenges occasioned primarily by the negative elements that continue to undermine and sabotage our efforts to protect our people from this disease.

“For instance, the seventh infected case was an offshore oil and gas worker who went and passed a night in a Lagos hotel before returning to Port Harcourt on the April 9, with the aid of the security personnel manning our borders.”

Commenting on the palliatives from the federal government, Wike said that the state government rejected the food palliatives because the rice was contaminated and expired.

“The rice has expired and we cannot go to Cross River state to go and collect contaminated rice,” he said.