Ebonyi Government says it will be quarantining returnees at the 64 LGA development centres of the state from Monday May 11, instead of clustering them at the Abakaliki quarantine centre.
Gov. David Umahi made the disclosure on Wednesday during a state broadcast.
He said that the decision was reached after an enlarged security council meeting with heads of security agencies, state COVID-19 team and local government area chairmen, among other stakeholders.
Umahi said that the state’s policy of not sending back returnees to their areas of abode still stood, adding that they would be quarantined at the development centres for 14 days.
“Traditional rulers and other stakeholders are, therefore, expected to identify returnees and send them to the quarantine centres where they would be fed for the 14 days.
“The social distancing precaution must be observed at such centres and after 14 days, they will be screened, issued certificate of participation if negative and allowed to go home.
“The communities are empowered to identify returnees no matter the status in society and take them to the centres, while using the law on those who do not go voluntarily,” he said.
The governor said that medical personnel would attend to the returnees thrice daily and those who showed symptoms of illnesses would be taken to Abakaliki for proper tests.
“Any person who tests negative to COVID-19 will be freely treated for the illness of the shown symptom but those who tested positive will be taken to the state isolation centre.
“The rooms inside the quarantine centres will be decontaminated every morning as the right to live is presently in the hands of the communities to enforce.
“The community leaders are expected to use the gong mode of communication to enlighten people on these modalities, especially those outside the state to remain where they are,” he said.
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Umahi admonished the people to sustain the observance of precautionary measures on the virus, noting that it was not a death sentence.
“Do not be afraid, the five people being treated for the disease in the state are stable and the reports I am getting shows that they will test negative twice next week and be discharged.
“The disease is, however, not good to be contracted as people should use local distilled gin (kai kai) if they don’t have sanitisers on their hands,” Umahi added.
He urged the public, especially members of the opposition not to play politics with the COVID-19 pandemic but collaborate with the government to check its spread.
Umahi said that the distribution of the palliatives would be effected at different polling units irrespective of party affiliations and would be supervised by highly placed stakeholders from the areas,” he said.
(NAN)
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