Delta sets up emergency operations centres

The Delta state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mordi Ononye, on Friday said the state government had set up a team for a primary health care emergency operations centre (PHEOC) to quarantine suspected cases in the state.

The commissioner, who disclosed this in Asaba, the state capital, said the state’s public health care facilities were being strengthened and had switched from watch to alert mode, activated over two months ago following the outbreak of Lassa fever in the country.

Ononye, who was flanked by the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, said the Incident Management team from the state ministry of health “will work with the Rapid Response Team (RRT) of the Nigeria for Disease Control (NCDC).”

He said the state incident manager, Dr. Anastacia Ojimba, would work with the NCDC’s RRT Lead in the state, Dr. Belu Abaye, and appealed to Deltans not to panic, but to observe all land down rules.

Ononye said further that the state government was working in collaboration with director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to ward off the spread of the virus in Nigeria through Standard Precautionary Measures.

“Delta has been listed as one of the six high-risk states in the country because it not only shares common boundaries with several other states but because it has several gateways to other countries including seaports and airports.

“Asaba International Airport was already carrying out screening of all passengers or visitors coming into the state through the facility,” he said.

Ononye said Warri, Sapele, Koko, Burutu and Oghara seaports would be continuously monitored under the medical emergency arrangements.

“Five points have also been identified as Holding Centres in anticipation of persons that might be quarantined,” he said, assuring that “Delta state will do its best to put in place measures to control the possible outbreak including intensive public enlightenment campaign using all media.”

The information commissioner, in his remarks, noted that the outbreak of the coronavirus in faraway China should not trigger panicky reactions in Delta and all over Nigeria as “it is not a death sentence.”

He said the people should just do the needful by observing improved hygiene, especially the hand-washing practice while being confident that “we will get over coronavirus” just as the country did with the Ebola Virus, “which is far deadlier than coronavirus.”

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