Fear grips Nasarawa as COVID-19 cases rise to 11

Fear has gripped residents of Nasarawa state as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) has risen to 11, resulting in one death with other patients quarantined in various centres across the state.

Deputy Governor of the state, who is also the Chairman, task force on COVID-19, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, confirmed this on Monday while answering questions from journalists in his office along Shandam Road in Lafia.

Akabe, said that the committee is working assiduously to see how best they can advise the state government to contain the disease within the shortest possible time.

“So far in Nasarawa state, we have established emergency operational centres to address the situation and proper Isolation centers in all the local government areas.

“Chairmen of the local government are to identify facilities within their locality where there is enough security as well as protection and light to serve as a holding centres.

“The use of these holding centres is for those returning from other states, especially in high risks states. We did this because as we started from the polytechnic, the place is now getting crowded.

“We will monitor them there and quarantine them for at least 14 days to ensure they are free from the disease before allowing them to go back to their places of abode,” Akabe noted.

The deputy governor also intimated journalists on the ongoing rehabilitating work at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Keffi, which would alleviate the plight of the people in that zone.

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“Work has started in earnest at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Keffi, so that we can have a holding centre there to take care of Karu and Keffi.

“If there is any area that needs attention, it is the Karu axis because of its proximity to the FCT and the NYSC orientation camp will serve that and will soon be ready.

“We have also established three contact tracing centres, one for each senatorial zone. Men and women have been adequately trained for contact tracing activities in Lafia, Akwanga and Karu zone,” he added.

He said that the committee has already employed the services of trained personnels to work with the state Ministry of Health and also lead the contact tracing unit in each of the zones, while local governments have their committee of contact tracing.

Accordingly, Akabe thanked the NCDC for it’s prompt interventions by way of assisting the state in carrying out training of personnel to fight the pandemic.