HEALTH

Covid-19: Community transmission in Delta State has reached an alarming proportion— Gov Okowa

&NewLine;<p><strong><em>In view of the alarming proportion of the spread of Covid-19 in Delta State&comma; the executive governor&comma; Senator&comma; Dr Ifeanyi Okowa&comma; on Friday&comma; June 26&comma; issued below statement warning Deltans against the erroneous belief that the coronavirus pandemic is non existent&period; He also gave a firm instruction that all guild lines to mitigate further spread must be observed<&sol;em><&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p><em>My Dear Good People of Delta State&comma;<&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>It has become necessary for me to issue this statement in view of the rising cases of Covid-19 in the State&period; On Thursday&comma; June 25&comma; 2020&comma; Delta State recorded 106 cases&comma; coming only behind Lagos&comma; the epicentre of the pandemic&period; The latest figure from the National Centre for Disease Control &lpar;NCDC&rpar; shows that on Friday&comma; June 26&comma; Delta recorded 66 additional cases&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>2&period;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi; This brings the total number of infected persons in the State so far to 781&period; The local governments mostly affected are Oshimili South &lpar;177&rpar;&comma; Warri South &lpar;126&rpar;&comma; Uvwie &lpar;115&rpar;&comma;Oshimili North &lpar;81&rpar;&comma; Ughelli North &lpar;72&rpar;&comma; Ethiope West &lpar;41&rpar;&comma; and Sapele &lpar;30&rpar;&period; One hundred and seventy-four persons have been treated and discharged while there are 585 active cases&period; Sadly&comma; we have lost 22 persons&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>3&period;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi; From the foregoing&comma; it is crystal clear that community transmission in Delta State has reached an alarming &&num;8211&semi; and frightening &&num;8211&semi; proportion&period; Regrettably&comma; many of our people still think that the coronavirus disease is a hoax&period; It cannot be a hoax when over twenty persons have died including some prominent citizens&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>4&period;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi; I want to make a passionate appeal to all Deltans to please realise that the coronavirus disease is real&period; The Government allowed normal business activities to go on in essential sectors of the economy to enable citizens take care of their families&period; It does not in any way suggest that the danger is over&period; We made this decision with all sense of responsibility while counting on your partnership with the Government to defeat this virus&period; Regrettably&comma; it does appear our people have not taken this matter as seriously as they should&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>5&period;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi; Our isolation centres are currently overwhelmed with the number of cases and unless we proactively – and collectively- take drastic actions to reverse the trend&comma; we stand the risk of becoming another epicentre for the pandemic&period; In the absence of a specific curative drug&comma; the only way to check the transmission of the virus is for all of us to adhere strictly to the NCDC-issued guidelines and safety protocols&comma; which are as follows&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<ul class&equals;"wp-block-list"><li>Stay at home as much as possible&period; Only go out if it is ESSENTIAL for you to do so&period;<&sol;li><li>If you must go out&comma; please ensure that you maintain about six feet distance from other persons&period; This is because the virus is transmitted through droplets – either due to coughing&comma; sneezing&comma; or talking &&num;8211&semi; of an infected person&period;<&sol;li><li>Wear face masks once you are outside your home&period; This will shield you from droplets from a carrier&period;<&sol;li><li>Avoid crowds and large gatherings as much as possible&period;<&sol;li><li>Wash your hands with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds as often as possible&period; If this is not readily available&comma; make sure you have a potable alcohol-based hand sanitizer to rub your hands&period;<&sol;li><li>Refrain from touching your face with unwashed hands&comma; especially outside your home&period;<&sol;li><li>Avoid hugs and handshakes&period;<&sol;li><&sol;ul>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>6&period;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi; My dear Deltans&comma; this is a clarion call to arms&period; We must brace up and take responsibility for our collective health and safety NOW&excl; It is very worrisome that many of our people still walk the streets without wearing a face mask or even observing physical&sol;social distancing&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>7&period;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi; Banks&comma; supermarkets&comma; malls&comma; stores&comma; salons&comma; and motorists MUST admit limited persons per time and strictly enforce the physical&sol;social distancing rule&period; In addition to providing hand wash stations&sol;alcohol-based sanitizers&comma; banks&comma; salons&comma; supermarkets&comma; stores&comma; and malls MUST deny entry to patrons without facemasks&period; Where there is more than one person&comma; occupants of private vehicles MUSTalso wear face masks&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>8&period;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi; The number of guests at social events – weddings&comma; funerals&comma; traditional marriages – should not exceed 50 with appropriate physical distanceset in place&period; People without face masks MUST be turned back&period; I also implore our religious houses to implement all the safety protocols as agreed&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>9&period;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi; Residents in the most affected local governments – Oshimili South&comma; Warri South&comma; Uvwie&comma;Oshimili North&comma; Ughelli North&comma;Ethiope West&comma; and Sapele – are particularly advised to be on red alert&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>10&period;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi; Let me emphasise once again that the coronavirus disease is real&comma; and anybody can contact it&period; It is neither a rich man’s nor a poor man’s disease&period; Anybody can be affected&period; I call on every resident in the State to actresponsibly to protect yourself and others&period; And do not forget to continue praying for God’s merciful intervention to stop this raging pandemic&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>11&period;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi; Together we shallbeat this virus&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>12&period;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi; God bless us all&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

Openlife Reporter

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