Governor Abdulrazaq, Abdulrahman has signed Kwara State Infectious Diseases (Emergency Prevention) Regulation 2020 to provide legal backings for the local management of the global health situation.
The Governor disclosed this while addressing the media on the new cases of COVID 19 discovered in the state and effort to prevent spread of the disease in the state
According to him “This is an emergency and the regulation, built around some enabling laws like the Quarantine Act of 2004, empowers us to invoke various drastic measures in the days ahead, if occasion calls for it.”
Highlights of the regulation include sanctions for anyone caught endangering public safety in whatever form or seeking to unfairly profit from our collective vulnerability and need for essential commodities at this time.
Speaking on the two new cases of COVID 19 in the state, Governor AbdulRahman explained that the first is the wife of a man who recently returned from UK while the second case is a diabetic patient who also had a travel history to the UK. He came into the country on March 18.
“He has since gone into self-isolation with his wife. Following reasonable suspicion, sample was taken from him and he has now been confirmed positive.”
He said further that contact tracing by the Rapid Response Team of the medical advisory committee has so far netted 75 persons who have had contacts with the cases and the suspected case at UITH.
On the effort so far, the governor maintained that the government is doubling down in the ongoing sensitisation of the public across all media platforms on the danger of this virus. We need everyone to join this public advocacy in their various localities without exposing themselves or others to danger.
While urging residents of the state not to Panic, Gov Abdulrahman said “Kwarans, this is no time to panic. Please stay calm. We will do everything to keep you safe. But we also need everyone to play their own role. Stay at home. Keep social distancing. Avoid crowd. Prioritise personal hygiene. And please do not spread unverified news”
