COVID-19: Gombe has discharged 59 cases from isolation centres ― Taskforce

Following a series of attacks on its officials while on official duties of contact tracing, Gombe State Taskforce on COVID-19 has called for understanding and cooperation by the people decrying the increasing number of attacks.

Chairman of the Taskforce, Professor Mohammed Idris expressed the lamentations on Tuesday during the committee’s daily briefing on the situation of COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

Tribune Online reports that Idris Mohammed regretted that the persistent attacks on its rapid response teams while on contact tracing has remained the greatest challenge in achieving a COVID-19 free society in Gombe State.

The chairman who also revealed that the task force has so far discharged 59 persons from its isolation centres, regretted that his Rapid Response Teams had met with stiff resistance from some local communities when going for contact tracing in order to prevent community spread of the virus.

According to him: “As at yesterday (Monday), 33 cases were yet to be evacuated to the isolation centres because of the attacks. Community transmission is highly dangerous and we are doing the contact tracing in the best interest of all.”

He further said that, “just yesterday, our team was attacked in Funakaye Local Government Area and their vehicle vandalised. I am appealing to communities that contact tracing is in their best interest.”

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He also appealed to the communities to cooperate with the Rapid Response Teams saying, “please cooperate with our teams that go out on contact tracing, it is for the best interest of the state without which, we stand no chance against COVID-19 in the state.”

Another challenge he reported was the refusal by some persons who tested positive to leave their homes and stay at the isolation centres saying, “this also poses a lot of dangers in managing community transmission of the virus.”

Idris Mohammed, however, assured that his committee will not be deterred in its resolve to over the COVID-19 pandemic situation in the state.

He said this is because the task before the committee is to ensure that there was no community transmission of the infection in the state while all those identified as contacts of positive cases were traced, tested and, if positive, are isolated and treated.