Kaduna State Government has threatened to review the ongoing lockdown, by closing the two-day window that it has provided for residents to re-stock food supplies, if the people continue flouting the Quarantine Law.
\nThe Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe who handed down this warning on Monday, also said that Government has ordered security agents to deal decisively with violators henceforth.
\nThis is coming as the State recorded one new case of COVID-19 last Sunday, bringing the number of positive cases to five, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina Mohammed Baloni revealed.
\nIn a press statement she issued on Monday, Dr Baloni said that \u2018\u2019So far, the State has sent 89 samples to Abuja for testing, among which 5 samples were positive, 77 samples were negative, and 8 samples are pending. 119 contacts have been listed and further contact tracing is ongoing.\u2019\u2019
\nOn the threat of a restoration of a 24-hour lockdown, a statement issued by Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Mr Muyiwa Adekeye on Monday, said that Dr Balarabe is alarmed that some people take the Coronavirus disease for granted which explains why they are defying the lockdown.
\nIt will be recalled that the State Government had reviewed the 24 hour lockdown last Wednesday, by giving a two-day window of Tuesday and Wednesday every week, to enable residents buy food and other essential commodities.
\nThe Deputy Governor who noted that the restriction of movement has been serial violated, threatened to revert to the 24 hour lockdown, the Special Adviser quoted her as saying.
\nThe statement further said that the State Task Force on Covid-19 met with representatives of traders and resolved that dealers of foodstuff and essential commodities are permitted to bring in and offload their goods five times in a week, including Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
\nThe Deputy Governor warned that only food and essential commodities will be sold on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when markets open, adding that \u2018\u2019sellers of other merchandise are not included in the exemption.\u2019\u2019
\nDr Balarabe also advised residents to shop only in markets within their neighbourhoods as going to far-flung commercial hubs is not allowed.
\nThe statement further advised traders and buyers to observe social distancing at the markets, warning that \u2018\u2019Kawo market will remain closed because it does not have space for social distancing.\u2019\u2019
\nThe Deputy Governor warned traders to desist from hiking prices of commodities during this emergency period, describing the practice as callous, unacceptable and inhuman.
\nDr Balarabe also warned that government will prosecute the people she referred to as \u2018\u2019unscrupulous traders\u2019\u2019 if they do not to desist from this un-Godly act.
\n\u2018\u2019At this time, we will not just stand by and let a few elements add to the hardship already being faced because of selfishness,\u2019\u2019 she further warned.
\nThe statement said that palliatives are being distributed from clusters to households and in some local governments, the target beneficiaries have already received deliveries.
\n\u2018\u2019However, to ensure more transparency and accountability, the Palliatives Committee will work with credible Civil Society Organisations(CSOs), to monitor the distribution,\u2019\u2019 she added.
\nDr Balarabe said that the administration has \u2018\u2019 put in place a robust system to check abuse and diversion of these essential commodities as a Government which is anchored on integrity.\u2019\u2019
\n\u2018\u2019Notwithstanding, no system is completely foolproof and in any case, another layer of monitoring will only improve on what is on ground\u2019\u2019, the Deputy Governor argued.
\nDr Balarabe also implored \u2018\u2019those that have been charged with the responsibility of identifying vulnerable groups and persons within communities to do so in a manner that depicts fairness, honesty and sincerity of purpose,\u2019\u2019 stressing that \u2018\u2019we all should be looking out for one another at this time and always.\u2019\u2019
\nThe statement called on well meaning individuals to contribute either in cash or in kind, towards bringing succour to the needy.
\nAccording to Dr Balarabe, \u2018\u2019the Resource Mobilisation Committee will communicate to our major contractors, investors and corporate bodies, as well as donor agencies and development partners, to solicit for their support in that vein\u2018\u2019
\n\u2018\u2019In addition, modalities are being worked out to ensure that political appointees also contribute to this noble cause,\u2019\u2019 the statement further said.
\nThe Deputy Governor promised that \u2018\u2019the cash donations will be put in dedicated bank accounts and will be used to fund COVID-19 related activities including procuring food items for the vulnerable persons within the society.\u2019\u2019
\nDr Balarabe revealed that a company has offered to produce masks in Kaduna State, which will make it cheaper for all and sundry to use, all in a bid to contain the disease.
\n\u2018\u2019Similarly, the United Kingdom\u2019s Department of For International Development(DFID) has approached the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria(DICON), to supply raw materials for the production of hand sanitisers locally.\u2019\u2019
\nDr Balarabe urged residents to continue passing on the message of social distancing, washing the hands regularly with soap and running water, so as to forestall community transmission of Covid 19.
\nMeantine, according to the State Commissioner of Health, \u2018\u2019the State Government has been taking vigorous actions to contain the spread of COVID-19 since February, by reaching out to the Chief Medical Directors of all hospitals in the state, daily evaluation of the pandemic and devising new ways to check the spread.\u2019\u2019
\nThe Commissioner further said that the ministry has set up an Emergency Operation Centre(EOC), which is chaired by the Commissioner of Health and meets every day, to take proactive measures.
\nDr Baloni further said that the ministry has \u2018\u2019 reactivated and strengthened the Infectious Disease Control Centre(IDCC), by posting trained health workers to the facility, who are currently caring for our patients.
\n\u2018\u2019In addition, the ministry has also concluded arrangements for the take-off of an alternative isolation centre which has 69 rooms, where mild to moderate cases will be managed,\u2019\u2019 she added.
\nAccording to the Deputy Governor, \u2018\u2019the facility is expected to be ready to receive patients this week. \u2018\u2019
\n\u2018\u2019In the same vein, Kaduna State Government has also concluded arrangements for the establishment of a testing laboratory in collaboration with Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital(ABUTH), Zaria, for quick diagnosis,\u2019\u2019 she revealed.
\nDr Baloni advised that \u2018\u2019cooperating with disease control efforts will reduce the risk of contracting or spreading COVID-19 and therefore, reduce the possibility of a community transmission.\u2019\u2019
\nThe Commissioner said that the State has conducting massive mobilization both on electronic and print media, including social media, to sensitize the public on the danger of this pandemic.
\n\u2018\u2019In addition, different sub committees have been put in place to coordinate response to the disease which include the surveillance, Laboratory, coordination and Risk Communication teams. Likewise, training of health workers is also ongoing,\u2019\u2019 she added.
\nDr Baloni commended \u2018\u2019the frontline health workers who are taking care of our patients and the various professional bodies, Development Partners and individuals who have reached out to support the State Government\u2019s efforts.\u2019\u2019
\nShe called on traditional rulers, community leaders and religious leaders to \u2018\u2019continue mobilizing their people on the importance of hand washing, respiratory hygiene and obeying Government\u2019s stay at home directive, as well as maintenance of social distancing in order to avoid spread of the disease.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kaduna State Government has threatened to review the ongoing lockdown, by closing the two-day window that it has provided for residents to re-stock food supplies, if the people continue flouting the Quarantine Law. The Deputy Governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe who handed down this warning on Monday, also said that Government has ordered security agents to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":12822,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1434,1435,161],"class_list":["post-25769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-24-hour","tag-breaches","tag-kaduna"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25769","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25769"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25769\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25769"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25769"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25769"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}