Residents of Abia have expressed concern over the two confirmed index cases of COVID-19 in the state, saying that the development has proved to doubting Thomases that the pandemic is real.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government on Monday night announced the confirmation of two cases of COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
The development has raised anxiety among residents, who charged the government to rise to the occasion to contain the spread of the pandemic in the state.
A hairdresser in Umuahia, Mrs Chinanu Zorro, said the news of the two positive COVID-19 cases came as a shock to her, leaving her disillusioned about the pandemic.
Zorro, who said that she initially had doubts about the reality of the pandemic, said the two cases “have proved to me that the virus is real.”
She said that the development further raised concern about when the COVID-19 lockdown would be fully relaxed for economic and business activities to resume.
Also, Dr Chinagozi Adindu, the Executive Secretary of Abia State Primary Health Development Agency, said that the development came to him as a shock.
Adindu said that it was unfortunate that many people still believed that COVID-19 was a scam, adding that the two cases had shown that the pandemic is real.
“I urge the people of Abia to have a rethink. This thing is real because our people are involved. Everyone has to take precautionary measures to prevent further spread of the disease,” he said.
Adindu, who is also a member of the Abia Technical Committee on COVID-19, said that contact tracing had commenced, adding that the patients’ movement in the past two weeks had been profiled.
He said that the committee was not taken unawares by the development, considering the outbreak of the pandemic in neighbouring states.
“We thought that we had really worked hard, given the measures that had been put in place, but now that it has occurred we are equal to the task,” he said.
A state lawmaker, Dr Mike Ukoha, representing Arochukwu constituency, said “the state is now faced with the reality of COVID-19.”
Ukaoha said, “This means the issue is now real. All along, Abia people think it is not real but with this two positive cases, it has become critical that we should be very careful because it is deadly.”
He underscored the need for the government to disclose the full identity of the index cases “so that we know those who have come in contact with them. Otherwise it will spread.”
Dr Stanley Okeluru, one of the trained doctors for COVID-19 management in the state, said that the virus had indeed come to Abia but could be easily handled.
He said, “We should do contact search immediately to quarantine the contacts of the identified cases.
“But as a matter of urgency, I think the government should enforce people wearing face masks.
“The benefit of face mask is that somebody wearing mask is not only protecting himself but also protecting the person next to him. We should utilise the isolation centres. The borders should still be locked.
“People should continue to stay at home, while very essential service providers only should be exempted.”
Mr Daniel Onwuzuruike, a farmer at Umuda-Isingwu, called for collective effort in containing the spread of the virus in the state.
He said, “I heard about the two cases over the radio this morning and got scared because it is what we have tried to avoid.
“This state has been locked down since April 1 by the state government to prevent it’s spread. It’s unfortunate that the disease is now here with us.
“Everybody must now make a sacrifice in this fight. We must obey the authorities by observing all the rules against the spread, such as social distancing, wearing of face masks, regular hand washing and other measures.”
Miss Anabel Mmaduabuchi, an undergraduate, said that there should be more sensitisation among the people.
An Aba resident, Mrs Comfort Micheal, said that the report of the index cases in the state had instilled fear and anxiety in the people.
Michael said they had been praying and following lockdown rules to remain at home in the last three weeks to ensure the virus did not enter Abia.
She said: “We heard about the confirmation of coronavirus in Abia and we are worried because it means that we have stayed at home for three weeks in vain.
“We are fearful about this development because if nothing is done about the free movement of people, it will be hard to contain the spread of the virus.”
Michael further expressed the need for more strict enforcement of the lockdown to ensure that people’s movement was fully restricted.
“I think people are moving about freely because the COVID-19 enforcement team does not seem to be doing its job the way it should,” she said.
Also speaking on the development, another lawmaker, Chief Uko Nkole, representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency, admonished residents not to despair.
He said that the measures put in place by the state government were potent enough to contain the spread of the pandemic.
Nkole said: “People should not panic but cooperate with government by observing WHO protocol on prevention of the pandemic.
“People should abide by the health advice of regular handwashing, use of hand sanitisers, observing social distancing and keeping away from the crowd.”
He also advised relevant government agencies to explore local approach in the handling of COVID-19 cases, in view of our peculiarities.
“We have the infectious disease belt so there is nothing to worry about because we belong to the tropical malaria belt.
“The only thing is that our health professionals should look inward for medication and not copy the foreign approach in tackling the virus,” Nkole said. (NAN)