Following the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Ebonyi State Government on Friday directed that all Religious gatherings in the state must not exceed two hours. Even as the governor also banned all large gathering’s in the state.
He further directed the State Deputy Governor, Kelechi Igwe and the State COVID-19 team to ensure massive sensitization and public enlightenment campaign to get the people to embrace the COVID-19 protocols.
He maintained this would help the state not to record any case in the second wave of the pandemic.
He said; “We must go back to observe all the protocols of COVID-19 enunciated by the Presidential Taskforce. I have directed that Church Services should not last more than 2 hours. I have also directed that we should step up our testing before the end of January”.
“We must have to accomplish the target of the Presidential Taskforce by testing at least 450 persons per Local Government. I have suspended large gathering of people in Ebonyi State. We have returned to the wearing of facemasks in all public places and in our homes.”
“During this Christmas, I am appealing that we curtail our movements. The initial night of praise will no longer hold in the state, the usual end of year party will not hold rather we are not aggregated so that we have smaller gathering that we can control”.
He further directed the State Deputy Governor, Kelechi Igwe and the State COVID-19 team to ensure massive sensitization and public enlightenment campaign to get the people to embrace the COVID-19 protocols.
He explained this would help the state not to record any case in the second wave of the pandemic.
“We must go back to observe all the protocols of COVID-19 enunciated by the Presidential Taskforce. I have directed that Church Services should not last more than 2 hours. I have also directed that we should step up our testing before the end of January”.
“We must have to accomplish the target of the Presidential Taskforce by testing at least 450 persons per Local Government. I have suspended large gathering of people in Ebonyi State. We have returned to the wearing of facemasks in all public places and in our homes.”
“During this Christmas, I am appealing that we curtail our movements. The initial night of praise will no longer hold in the state, the usual end of year party will not hold rather we are not aggregated so that we have smaller gathering that we can control”, he noted.
Recall that the National Coordinator of the Presidential Taskforce on Covid- 19, Dr Sani Aliyu, recently conveyed to the governor his nomination as the Covid-19 Presidential Taskforce National Champion.
Aliyu in the letter stated; “I have the honour to formally notify His Excellency that the Risk Communication and Community Engagement and the Government Relations Pillars of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 have nominated you as the COVID-19 Champion”.
He noted that the Risk Communication and Community Engagement Pillar is saddled with the responsibility of public sensitization on multi-media platforms and community mobilization against COVID-19 which is aimed at principally promoting behaviour change among the people through information sharing and engagement that ensure decision making for compliance towards prevention and containment of COVID-19.
He hinted the governor that the Government Relations Pillar works through the Nigeria Governors Forum and serves as the linkage among the three tiers of government, even as he pointed out that as the COVID-19 Champion, Gov. Umahi, will be expected to serve as the driver for community mobilization and public awareness on the various aspects relating to COVID-19 prevention and containment, especially at the community level.
Adding: “You are also expected to leverage on your influence among your colleagues in the Nigeria Governors Forum and with the traditional and religious leaders as well as the media and development partners to ensure that the entire country is mobilized against COVID-19”.
Mr Aliyu reiterated that with the Governor’s antecedents especially in the fight against COVID-19 in Ebonyi State and also as a survivor of the virus, he will provide the needed leadership and the required support to accomplish the task even after the exit of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.