In order to curtail the rapid spread of Coronavirus in Benue State, Governor Samuel Ortom has banned visitors from the government house, Makurdi.
Government has also approved the sum of N50 million for the committee on Coronavirus to take care of any emergency or eventualities as the situation unfolds.
Recall that government had earlier approved N10 million for the emergency committee on COVID-19 to purchase protective gadgets.
Ortom who announced this at the end of an expanded Executive Council Meeting which held at Government House in Makurdi also said they have approved “Work From Home”, for its civil servant on grade levels 1-12 except for those rendering essential services.
Reading out a communique reached at the end of the meeting to journalists, the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Tony Ijohor (SAN) said the Exco approved that for the next two weeks, there shall be no visit to the Peoples House except for those rendering essential services.
He said the “Work from Home” approach for these categories of workers was meant to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 in and round government offices in the state, stressing that workers on grade level 13 and above would be allowed into government offices to render skeletal and other essential services.
READ ALSO: Coronavirus: Benue Govt Approves N10 Million For Purchase Of Protective Kits
He explained that the stay off workplaces would last for two weeks beginning from Wednesday March 25, 2020 after which it will be reviewed.
Professor Ijor explained that the state emergency committee on COVID-19 has been reshuffled and now have the Deputy GOVERNOR, Benson Abounu, as chairman, while the former chairman and commissioner for Health and Human Services, Sunday Ongbabor would now serve as secretary of the committee.
“Government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the virus doesn’t find its way to the state. We have approved the setting up of more designated centers across the three senatorial districts of zones A, B and C while same will be duplicated across the 23 local government areas”.
“We are appealing to Benue people to ensure adherence to health instructions from the state and federal ministries of health on how to prevent the disease as well as ensure personal hygiene and obey instructions from Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, and Jamatu Nasir Islam, JNI”.
Throwing more light, Gov. Samuel Ortom maintained that although, no case of the virus has been reported in the state yet, he has directed the committee to trace all those who may have traveled back from abroad into the state and check their travel history and if necessary administer COVID-19 test on them.
