Akwa Ibom Considers Fresh Lockdown, As State Records 48 New Cases Of COVID-19 Within Two Weeks

Akwa Ibom State Government has announced that about 48 persons have tested positive for coronavirus in the State in less than two weeks.

The state government also cautioned people of Akwa Ibom against flouting the safety precautions given by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, saying the non-adherence to such protocols may lead to another Lockdown

The Secretary to State Government and Chairman, COVID-19 management committee, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing tagged “The second wave of COVID-19; Need for strict compliance with guidelines and protocols” held in government house Uyo.

He said all COVID-19 Guidelines and Protocol Compliance Monitoring Teams would ensure enforcement even as state government events requiring large crowds would be cancelled.

The statement read in parts, “Large political meetings are discouraged until the current spike of COVID-19 infections is reduced. Religious leaders must adhere strictly to the guidelines and protocols for programmes as developed by the Christian Association of Nigeria ( CAN) and submitted to the government.

“School administrators must ensure compulsory and proper use of face masks by students, teachers and everyone in the school premises. All COVID-19 guidelines and protocols must be strictly adhered to by everyone:

“Use of face masks remains compulsory in all public buildings, offices, public places, tricycles, buses, cars, churches, mosques, markets, hotels, schools, etc. Social distancing must be maintained in all public events ( indoor and outdoor), in tricycles, cars, taxis, buses, schools, churches, etc.

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“Regular hand washing with running water; 6.4 Regular use of sanitizers in homes, offices, public buildings, schools, churches, mosques, hotels, markets, etc;

“Personal temperature measurements at entry points into all public buildings, churches, schools, etc; high body Temperatures are to be reported to the nearest medical facility.

“Hotels, bars, night clubs, restaurants, fast food outlets and tourism resorts adhere strictly to further specific guidelines and protocols as outlined by the COVID-19 Guidelines and Protocol Task Force of the Hotel and Tourism Management Board.

“All COVID-19 Guidelines and Protocol Compliance Monitoring Teams in Churches, Mosques, Markets, Motor Parks, checkpoints, etc, are hereby directed to increase the frequency, intensity, scope and scale of their monitoring activities”

He, however, assured that the state government is battle-ready to fight and contain the pandemic, “we must act cautiously, not carelessly to keep safe and save others. Recently, the test results from our PCR laboratory indicate a sharp increase in the number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19.