By Idowu Abdullahi,
The Ekiti State Government disclosed that it has set up an Emergency Operation Centre, which is expected to run twenty-four hours a day, to coordinate a prompt response to the deadly coronavirus, aimed to boost the state’s level of preparedness against threat of the viral infection.
It revealed that in addition to the operation centre, essential infrastructure and resources necessary for screening, testing and effective quarantine of Ekiti bound passengers from all major motor parks leading into the state through all land borders had also been provided for immediate deployment and use.
The State Governor, Kayode Fayemi explained that following index case of the virus carrier in Nigeria, an Italian man from Milan who was being managed in Lagos State, it had become imperative for other states in the federation to take adequate protective measures against possible occurrence of the viral epidemic within their borders.
Fayemi said that Ekiti being a landlocked state needed to have its borders adequately manned and protected in order to keep the virus out and, in event of the infection getting in the state, proper procedures in place to curb spread and give treatment to those affected.
According to a statement released by the state government through the Governor’s Office on Tuesday, it was revealed that the Fayemi led administration had reactivated its response and surveillance team for the prevention of the deadly viral infection, while the epidemic surveillance officers were mobilised to swing into action by moving into rural communities for coordinated patrol and extensive sensitisation programs.
In addition, a forty-man Taskforce on CODIV-19 which was recently constituted by Fayemi, was noted to be mandated to work closely with leadership of the Road Transport Network (NURTW) to maintain passenger manifests, aimed to run quick traces when necessary.
The governor called for calm and assured citizens and residents of the state of his administrations commitment to the protection of lives and properties of all resident in the state, adding that though there were no identified case of the disease yet, dedicated hotlines had been made available to the public to call to report any suspected case of coronavirus infection.
