Taraba health commissioner narrates COVID-19 success story

Taraba is one of the State with fewer prevalence cases of COVID-19 in the country, Commissioner of health, Dr Innocent Vakkai revealed that the state is currently having only three victims at the isolation center in Jalingo since the index case of eight returnees indigenes of the state were tested positive.

Vakkai who is also the Chairman, state task force committee on Covid-19, in an interview with our correspondent in his Jalingo residence, narrated the success story of how Governor Dickson Ishaku Darius’ Administration is winning the war against COVID-19.

According to Vakkai Taraba State have only three victims of COVID-19 at the State’s isolation centre in Jalingo after the interception of one hundred and thirty travelers from Kano who were quarantined and eight were tested positive to the virus as the index case.

He said Darius government became proactive since the outbreak and through the taskforce introduced massive awareness as one of the measures to mitigate further spread of the pandemic.

Vakkai praised Darius for given rapt attention and acting aptly by providing the necessary support to the ministry of health and task force committee on Covid-19 in the state.

According to Innocent, Governor Dickson on hearing of the first index case in the country called on an emergency meeting with critical stakeholders to fashion out ways of contending the virus.

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Vakkai who is also Commissioner of Health said the campaign against the virus was earlier launched out with much awareness in all media outfits, all places of worship were given hand sanitizers, use of face masks were emphasised and maintaining of social distance was and still being preached as a measure of cramping down the pandemic.

He said the total lockdown was the next stage used to roll back COVID-19 pandemic possibilities of spreading into other parts of the state with a serious check on the borders communities with the Republic of Cameroon.

Innocent worried that the state is not having a testing Center and pleaded with the Federal Government through the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) to as a matter of urgency introduced testing centre in the state.

He, however, called on the people to maintain and stick to the ways they cannot be the victims of the virus by keeping the social distance rules, keeping a self and a hygienic environment and wearing of face mask whenever they are in crowded places.

Innocent, a consultant epidemiology physician of public health, fellow of West African college of physicians, a USA certified member of John Hopkins hospital, versatile on hospital management and for several years worked in America said his Covid19 taskforce team are working round the clock to set the state free from the world virus.

Tribune