The Chairman, Imo State Taskforce on Covid 19, Prof. Maurice Iwu has assured that the state government is well prepared to handle the second wave of the virus outbreak, positing that it did not take the government and people of the state unawares.
Speaking to a select group of journalists at the Government House, Owerri, Iwu said the state was able to properly manage the first wave of the pandemic because of the proactive measures the governor took and strict adherence to the guidelines laid down by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
According to him, the changes that may be witnessed in social norms, due to strategies to prevent and contain the virus, will be for a short period.
“We are borrowing from China and other Asian countries on how they did things differently, that made them survive the first wave of the virus. If we apply the basics which are now well known to us; wearing of face masks, regular hand washing with soap under running water, applying alcohol based sanitizers and maintaining physical distancing, we are almost guaranteed that the Christmas and New Year festive period will be safe for us”, he stated.
Adding her voice, Imo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Damaris Osunkwo, disclosed that a total of 462 persons were tested and 46 came out positive. She appealed to Imolites to adhere strictly to the rules in order to stay safe.
Other government officials who added their voices to the call on Imolites to adhere strictly to the guidelines and directives of the NCDC and the taskforce, included; Chairman, Board of Imo Specialist Hospital, Dr. Prosper Ohale; Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Dr. Kingsley Achigbu; Manager, Sam Mbakwe Airport, Mrs. Rejoice Ndudinachi; Commissioner for Sanitation and Social Welfare, Dr. Martins Emedom, among others.
