COVID-19: Delta Extends Lockdown For Another 14 Days… ..Imposes Curfew

Delta Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has extended lockdown in by 14 days as part of intensified efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Okowa, in a state-wide broadcast on Tuesday, also imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew across the state from Wednesday.

He said 70 persons, who had contact with the three confirmed cases in the state, have been identified.

According to him, the two- week extension of the stay-at-home order is to enable officials track, identify, isolate and test all who have had contact with the three confirmed cases in the state.

Appreciating health workers, alongside auxiliary staff, the Governor assured that modalities are in the works to provide them with daily remunerations as they take risks for the good of all Deltans.

He further announced that the State Government has embarked on massive production of facemasks to be distributed freely to residents.

The Nation reports Delta state recorded its first case a week ago.

Two others, one of which died, were subsequently recorded in Warri and Asaba, the state’s capital.

Following the renewed lockdown directive, food markets will open only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Sellers of toiletries and other essential home needs are also to commence sales like the foodstuff vendors.

However, other existing orders, including shut down of malls, worship centres, offices, remain effective.

Okowo said: “On April 7, we had our index case of COVID-19 in Delta State. That was the 7th day of the lockdown. Three cases have thus far been identified in Delta State. We lost one of the cases. We want to assure you that we have continued to do contact tracing. 70 contacts have been identified. 46 of them, have been reached and we are trying our best to get the remaining 24.

“We have two cases that are active. One is being managed at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara centre. And one also is being managed at our infectious disease centre at Asaba. Both persons are doing very well.

“We have attempted to create our isolation centres in such a manner that people will not cross-infect others. That is why we are using the single room option for the isolation of suspected cases until they test positive.

“I, therefore, want to urge our people to avoid all forms of stigmatization. We want those who may fall ill to truly identify themselves in the best interest of the people. Anyone could be exposed; anyone could be infected; both the high and the low, the rich and the poor.

“I want to reassure you that health personnel have been trained and they are very proactive. I want to use this opportunity to thank all our health staff, which include doctors, nurses, the laboratory scientists, the pharmacists, and other health staffs that have been trained. They are all in good spirit and committed to their duties.

“Ambulance drivers and other auxiliary staffs like cleaners, laundrymen, and others have also been adequately trained and we have enough ambulances to be able to convey patients or cases that are suspected to our isolation or treatment centres across the State.”

He added: “I want to reassure both our health staffs and the auxiliary staffs that they would be adequately remunerated in the course of their duty. We are working out the details. I had a teleconference meeting with my team yesterday and I am sure that by the end of today, they would be able to communicate to health staff the amount of money that they would be paid on a daily basis for the work that they do.

“The Delta State Government has gone ahead to start the production of face masks but this time, the one made with a cloth. We are trying to produce a few hundreds of thousands of face masks and these face masks would be distributed free of charge to all Deltans. That will definitely reduce the risks of infection.

“We have also put in place a food bank. We are getting the last stocks of the initial holder, and by the special grace of God, in the next 42 to 72 hours, food would be sent across to support our indigent people, who do not have access to food, in all wards of the State. We will use the wards, the federal wards, as a means of distribution concerning this. It is for all Deltans and not restricted to party politics.

“Having taken cognizance of the upscale in the number of cases nationally, standing at 343 today, spread across 19 States, and the federal capital territory and the need to ease the process of contact tracing, the stay at home order has become more necessary.

“For the safety of our people, and to enable us to track identify, isolate and test all contacts, by the power vested on me in line with the Quarantine Act and the subsequent Disease Resolution 2020, I hereby extend the stay at home order for another period of two weeks.

“We do know that this will cause some pains to our people but it is for the public good and for the interest of our health. I want to urge all Deltans to please observe the stay at home order. We believe that in this next two weeks, we will be able to track all contacts, identify all possible cases and be able to take the needed actions. We will be able to use this opportunity to also produce enough quantity of face masks for our people.

“Nobody is expected to be seen outside. A dusk to dawn curfew is hereby imposed with effect from tomorrow until the next 14 days. Only persons on essential duties are exempted. We have previously given a list of those on essential duties.”