June 15, 2020
By Ijendu Iheaka
Abia government has declared Aba, the state’s commercial hub, a red zone and epicenter of Coronavirus following the spike in number of coronavirus positive samples emanating from the city.
Chief Okeiyi Kalu, Abia Information Commissioner disclosed this while answering questions during Magic FM radio Aba phone-in Programme on COVID-19 update in the state.
Abia with a which recorded 15 new cases on Sunday moved to the 16th position on the log of states with highest Coronavirus cases in Nigeria having had a total of 166 confirmed infections.
Meanwhile, with all the numbers of positive cases, only 3 persons have been reportedly nursed back to health and released from isolation Centre which is compounding Abia’s case with very few spaces for confirmed cases.
The Commissioner decried Aba residents’ non-challant attitude adding that they vehemently refuse obeying government directives on COVID-19 including wearing face masks and observing social distancing.
Kalu who said such attitude had thrown the city into a grave danger blamed churches and mosques for refusing to adhere to simple directives or telling adherents what is right to do.
He noted that reports coming from Aba Central Mosque, at Hospital road was very dangerous and worrisome for everyone in COVID-19 era.
He said that Abia Inter-Ministerial Committee on COVID-19 has directed the Aba South Local Government TC Chairman to directly enforce regulations at the mosque on Friday and during other prayer sessions.
Kalu further said that many health workers in Aba may have been infected with coronavirus as a result of attending to infected people unknowingly without full protection.
"At the moment, Abia is having more samples than any other state in the South East which is good, because unless we identify where this problem is coming from, we may not be able to deal with it.
"We’ve done our mapping by local government and one thing is clear to us; majority of the new cases are coming from the Aba area and it's alarming.
"It looks like all the sensitization, all the efforts made by the media have not worked because Aba people continued to violate the regulations with regards to Face Masks wearing, Social Distancing and avoiding gatherings.
"Even the churches are part of the problem we're facing now; It looks like Aba is a very red location for Covid-19 infection and all hands should be on deck now to stop the spread there.
"What we've discovered is that some people have continued to violate the rules especially the mosque at Hospital road by Mosque Street; that particular Mosque is a very dangerous zone right now”, he said.
Kalu regretted that people were busy endangering themselves and others instead of all residents working together to stop the spread of the virus.
He said that facts emanating from the level of infection of health workers in the city was very disturbing hence the government’s unwillingness to unveil all the facts.
"The rate of infection of Medical workers in Aba is very high. Which means that a lot of COVID-19 patients are presenting themselves to hospitals and our medics are attending to them without full protection”, he said.
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