COVID-19: Ebonyi Gov. Umahi Set To Build Gates At The State Borders
David Umahi
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State on Wednesday said he had agreed with his Enugu counterpart, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to buld gates at the borders to ensure strict compliance to the border closure orders of both States.
Umahi disclosed in a Statewide broadcast held at his new office, centenary city Abakaliki, to update the citizens on the efforts of his administration in the fight against corona virus disease.
According to him, the border gates would be built in such a way that it will be impossible for people to smuggle themselves into the two States.
“I spoke with Enugu Governor and we agreed to share building of gates
together, and it is still on my mind to build gates at our borders, so that when we lock it, we just go home. We will build it in such a way that even if you want to go through the bush, you cannot pass.
“I am going to be very strict on these border restrictions. If there were restriction of borders, we wouldn’t have even had one case in Ebonyi State and that is the truth”, Umahi said.
He noted that some people were still doubting the reality of COVID-19 disease, saying, “for those who still doubt that convid-19 is political, I pity them so much. Why can’t you come and prove that by coming to our treatment centres? We will give you access and you will come and embrace those who have it. We will allow you to do that. That is the way to prove that the disease is not real, not on facebook.”
He further disclosed that a total of 438 people were being held in different holding centres in the State.
“In our efforts at the local governments, we have a total of 31 people being held at the holding centre in Ohaozara LGA, Ebonyi LGA-72, Abakaliki LGA-31, Ezza North LGA- 28, Ohaukwu LGA-35, Ishielu LGA- 23, Afikpo North LGA -35, Onicha LGA-23, Ivo 1, Afikpo south LGA-32, Ezza south LGA-16, Ikwo LGA- 35, Izzi LGA- 31. Total is 438.
“Our directive is that these people that are committed to the holding centres, they are noted and we will take their samples and test after 14 days and if they test negative, we will release them with discharge certificates.
“At the stadium, we have 35 people. 33 are waiting results of tests so that we will release them. 396 people have been issued with discharged certificates. We have tested a total of 818 samples mostly from Ebonyi state, but we also test for other States in South East and South-South. We have treated 378 suspected cases that tested negative.
If you test negative and you have some slight issues, we give you drugs and make you well before you go home”.
Umahi also confirmed that the State now has a total of eight [8] cases of confirmed COVID-19 patients.
He said: “As at today, we have a total of eight cases. Three of the cases are very sympathetic because it involves a man and the wife. The man and the wife have two little children; one is a year plus, the other one is three years. Then we tested the man and the woman. In fact, we took the woman and the man followed to perform his husbandry role and we tested them and both of them tested positives. Now, that is the 6th and 7th cases.
“On 11th of this month, one of the kids; the three year old tested positive, now left with the little child of a year and half. The doctors have been battling because the child that tested positive is still sucking breast and the Doctors have preached everything to the father and the mother to isolate the little child since that child tested negative twice and the State pledged to support the little child if they can bring a child care or we provide one but they have held the child.
“Even through our CCT monitor, they will remove the child’s shirt and then be breastfeeding the child. We don’t know what to do in that kind of circumstance”.
