Bauchi state officials have lamented that the level of compliance in the prevention of the deadly virus is almost zero in the State.
This is coming on the heels of the closedown of the premises of UNICEF and WHO by the Bauchi state government after a staff of WHO in the state tested positive to the deadly virus after travelling to Kano state.
While briefing newsmen in Bauchi on Monday, the Chairman of the State Rapid Response Taskforce on COVID 19 and Lassa Fever, Senator Baba Tela, said that the State Committee on COVID 19 is unhappy with how the borders of the state are being manned since the Lockdown order imposed on all the entry points of the State.
He said that the index case that tested positive to the virus, came from Kano State where he had contact with an infected person in a mosque, adding that the state now has only two active cases of the virus and are currently on treatment.
“The index person that came in from Kano state and tested positive was actually in contact with an infected person in Kano state in the mosque. From the information we gathered, when he came to Bauchi state, he was in touch with his family and quite a number of people. All these persons have been traced and are being monitored. We are going to collect their samples and depending on what happens, we will decide to either quarantine them or allow them to go, depending on the outcome of the results.
“The level of compliance in Bauchi state is almost zero and if you look at what is happening in Kano state, in one day, you get 10 to 15 positive cases. Sadly in Bauchi state, we do not practice the social distancing, the handwashing or the use of hand sanitizers. Majority of the people in the state do not believe this disease exist, they believe it is the disease for the rich”, he stated.
The Deputy Governor said that government has a responsibility to protect the citizens of the state, stressing that it will not fold its arms and allow some persons become a threat to the health of the remaining people of the state.
“Government cannot do a total lockdown without adequate palliative measures, but it is better to have a lockdown without palliative than to have a situation whereby we will not be able to control the infection. So I am appealing to the people of the state to adhere to these protocols before it becomes late for us” Baba Tella said.
