Gov. Douye Diri on Tuesday relaxed the interstate border closure
ordered the check the spread of the corona virus to allow food, drugs and
vehicles conveying personnel on essential duty into Bayelsa
Diri granted unfettered passage to their destinations for
vehicles conveying foodstuff, medical supplies and personnel on essential
services as the country grapples with containing the COVID-91 pandemic.
Diri stated this during an enlarged meeting with members of the
state's COVID-19 taskforce, including service commanders, labour leaders and
representatives of international health organisations in Government
House, Yenagoa.
He emphasized the need for people to have access to food items,
drugs and other essential commodities as they comply with the restriction order
on inter-state movement.
Diri, who doubles as the state's chairman of the COVID-19
Taskforce, said the meeting was convened to appraise the challenges faced by
the taskforce and to proffer solutions.
He said the government was exploring the possibility of
providing a COVID-19 testing centre in the state.
To this end, he constituted a committee headed by his deputy to
assess the capacity of the Bio Resources Centre at Odi in Kolokuma/Opokuma
local government area.
Secretary to the State Government, Hon. Konbowei Benson,
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Inodu Apoku, the Chief Medical
Director, Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Prof. Dimie Ogoina,
and former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Tonye Isenah, are to
serve as members of the committee.
Diri also directed the Bayelsa State Electricity Company to
provide a dedicated electricity line to the NDUTH to enhance service delivery.
The governor equally directed that all council chairmen should
henceforth operate from the headquarters of their respective local government
area and charged them to step up surveillance efforts at all marine and land
borders.
He urged them to do more in creating awareness about the virus
in local languages.
Diri, while acknowledging the donation of the United Bank for
Africa to the state government, called on other corporate bodies and public
spirited individuals to emulate the gesture as government had opened a COVID-19
Support Account for intending donors.
He directed the taskforce to go round petrol stations to ensure
compliance with the presidential directive on the N125 per litre pump price of
fuel.
Also, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Arch Ere
Efeke, recounted efforts by his ministry at enforcing social distancing in
public transportation in the state.
The eight council chairmen, who spoke at the meeting, however
said that there was no confirmed case of the virus in their domains.
In his contribution, the NDUTH Chief Medical Director, Prof.
Ogoina, said the hospital has put in place a COVID-19 Emergency Response Plan
with 13 teams on various aspects of response.
Ogoina solicited volunteers from members of the public to
support health workers in the event of an outbreak of the virus, noting that
they have already built the capacity of staff to manage such cases
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