Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba state has confirmed the six cases of corona virus as earlier revealed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), from samples taken from persons already quarantined by the State Task Force on Covid 19 who are presently at the NYSC isolation center, Sibre.
The Governor who was speaking during a statewide broadcast in Jalingo said, the persons were among 130 interstate travelers from Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Borno, Ogun and Lagos states intercepted at the borders.
He recalled that the committee had earlier intercepted on two occasions 65 and 59 persons from Ogun state enroute to Adamawa state and were allowed to proceed amid tight security.
Ishaku commended the proactive steps of the committee which led to the isolation and identification of the reported cases.
He assured the good people of Taraba State that this is not a time for panic as Government is on top of the situation, adding that additional manpower and resources have been mobilized and deployed to trace contacts of all those that have been tested positive to the corona virus, immediately.
The Governor described the incident as unfortunate despite the robust proactive steps taken by his administration to prevent the virus from entering the State.
According to him, immediately the index case was identified in the country, the state government took a number of preventive steps such as the closure of land borders with neighbouring states as well as the international boundary with the Republic of Cameroon.
The government also closed temporarily places of worship, schools, markets and other public places that attract large crowds.
Ishaku added that the state government had also rolled out intensive sensitization and advocacy programmes using two religious bodies, traditional institutions as well as the media.
He therefore assured people of the state that government is prepared, having already identified two treatment centers located at the State Specialist Hospital, Jalingo and the Federal Medical Center also in Jalingo with the combined capacity to handle 22 cases.
In the meantime, the government is in the process of completing a one hundred bed capacity isolation center with the assistance of Access Bank, adding that government will do all within its powers to checkmate widespread of the virus.
Governor Darius Ishaku however noted that the situation at hands now demands strict adherence to preventive measures approved by the World Health Organisation endorsed by NCDC and adopted by his administration such as regular washing of hands, use of sanitizers, social distancing and avoidance of handshakes.
He called on the people of the state to continue to practice these habits as regular new ways of social interaction to keep the virus in check.
He said that the lockdown measure which is meant to encourage people to stay where they are is not negotiable and called on Security agencies to ensure that interstate travelers are prevented from coming into the State and that those who are already in the State stay at home.
” I am aware that these measures come with a lot of inconveniences to the people, but we must adopt them in order to save lives. Government will do everything possible to ameliorate the suffering of those that may be adversely affected by these measures”. Ishaku added.