COVID-19: Bauchi to partially lock down to contain spread, constitutes palliative committee

As a means of fighting spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bauchi State is to partially lock down all social activities across the state.

The decision was reached at the end of a stakeholders meeting held at the Command Guest Hotel, on Tuesday, to review the impending danger posed by the pandemic in the state following the lackadaisical adherence to preventive measures put in place by the government.

And to ensure the full implementation of the partial lockdown of the state, the State Governor, Sen Bala Mohammed, announced the setting up a committee on palliative to cushion the difficulties citizens of the state may face as a result of the proposed partial lockdown of the state.

The governor said that the committee will be headed by the Emir of Bauchi, Dr Rilwanu Suleimanu Adamu, explaining that, the proposed partial lockdown is to enable the government manage and control the spread of the virus.

According to him while giving a highlight of the outcome of the meeting, the stakeholders have given the mandate to the state government to take any action that will assist in curbing the spread of the ravaging coronavirus.

While welcoming participants to the stakeholders meeting, he called on them to discuss on way forward on tackling the spread of coronavirus in our state, saying that, “on our part as a government, we have taken steps to ensure we curb the spread of the virus through various initiatives.”

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The governor added that “Government is ready to purchase palliative, in Bauchi, we have already established a very sound administrative framework for contact tracing on COVID-19.”

He also said that the state government with the support of the North-East Development Commission is expected to soon get its testing centre for the management of the virus saying however that the State TaskForce will also engage stakeholders to come up with modalities of the partial lockdown of the state.

While giving highlights of the activities of the State Rapid Response Taskforce on COVID-19 and Lassa Fever, State Deputy Governor who is the Chairman of the Task Force, Senator Baba Tela said that a lot has been achieved by the committee since it was set up particularly in the area of sensitization of the general public on the importance of healthy living.

Baba Tela also disclosed that various organisations and individuals in the state have made various donations in cash and materials for the fight against the spread of the infection in state assuring that every item donated will be used judiciously.

The participants at the stakeholders meeting included all traditional rulers in the state, religious leaders and prominent opinion leaders in the state.

It will be recalled that the state government has declared that the considering the poor level of compliance with preventive measures put in place by the government to fight the spread of the infection in state, it may be forced to lock down the state totally.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE