By Ayo Kehinde
The Adamawa State government has announced the arrest of one of the two persons with confirmed coronavirus disease who escaped from Gombe state and taken him to a quarantine center, while the partner is still at large.
According to the governor Ahmadu Umar Fintiri, on Sunday, on “Saturday the Epidemiological Unit Head in Gombe reported to our team here that two people whose samples were collected and confirmed positive had slipped out before there results was received and they are suspected to be heading to Adamawa, there intended destination.
“The details of the individuals did not match anyone on the list we had from Gombe. Of the two, one indicated Mubi as his final destination and the other Lamurde. Search teams were raised to track them down and we were lucky to track the Lamurde bound person in Numan at about 1:30am last night and have picked him up early this morning and is now at the treatment centre.
“ The one that is Mubi bound, has been tracked to Ngorure, through his phone number but is still at large and his phone has been out of communication for a while. We are using all available means to get him. I can therefore confirm that we now have, as at today, 5 positive cases of COVID-19 in our treatment centre.”
On the lifting of the lockdown, he said certain measures have been put in place to ensure continuous and sustained handling of the disease.
He said he has ordered an aggressive contact tracing, testing, immediate isolation where necessary and treatment of all patients who ultimately, test positive.
He said; “In view of the disruption to lives and livelihoods and considering that majority of the people have to go out daily to eke out a living, government, after due consultations, has agreed to ease the lockdown in line with some of the measures taken by the Federal Government, particularly those that are in consonance with our peculiar situation in Adamawa State.
“It is hereby ordered that effective Monday 4th May 2020, there will be a relaxation of the restriction on movements between 6am to 8pm onwards, subject to any further review. “
He urged the citizens to strictly to the exiting protocols; frequent and proper handwashing with soap and running water, where possible, alcohol based hand sanitizers should be used; mandatory wearing of face masks when one goes out and in all gatherings, markets, shops, commercial transport; adherence to social and physical distancing, and avoidance of crowds of above fifty people in social, cultural and religious gatherings.
He directed that offices will open effective Monday 4th May 2020 between 8am and 2pm, adding, “Civil Servants from level 15 and above should report for work, while the Head of Service will draw up a convenient time-table which workers shall adhere to.
He directed banks, offices to conduct temperature checks and hand sanitizing protocols at entry and access points to all offices, just as wearing of face masks is mandatory to gain entrance into public places.
Inter-States boarders remains closed and all citizens shall observe the 8:00pm to 6:00am
Schools remain closed.
Tricycles are limited to conveying three (3) people including the rider while the maximum allowed for Taxis, cabs and private vehicles is four(4) including the driver. Buses are also to reduce their passengers to half capacity.
Our Mobile Courts are still very much around to enforce any reprimand prescribed by the Law.
