BENIN CITY – The Edo State Government has stepped up public awareness on the second wave of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to ensure residents are safe while observing the yuletide celebration.
The State Incident Manager, Dr. Andrew Obi, who said this during a roll call across media stations in the state, noted that the government has reactivated its contact tracing network and the disease surveillance mechanism to halt the spread of the pandemic.
He added that four isolation and treatment centres set up in the first wave of the pandemic have been reinvigorated to handle new cases.
He cautioned Edo residents to observe the health and safety protocols for the prevention of the disease, including regular handwashing with running water, use of alcohol-based sanitisers, wearing of facemasks in public and avoiding crowded public spaces.
According to him, there is a need for people take personal responsibility in containing the spread of the virus by observing the safety protocols to prevent the spread of the disease.
He tasked management of banks and other public spaces such as eateries, parks, cinemas among others to fully implement measures aimed at checking the spread of the disease through the compulsory use of facemasks, social distancing and provision of facilities to encourage regular hand washing.
“Management of public institutions should take it as part of their responsibility to ensure that members of the public adhere to the protocols to prevent the spread of the virus. It is important for people to understand that we owe each other the responsibility to stay safe. People who have no business going out should stay at home,” Dr. Obi said.
