Chijioke Agwu,Abakaliki

As states continue to take measures against the spread of the deadly Coronavirus, Ebonyi state government has directed the immediate closure of all public and private schools across the 13 local government areas of the state.

In a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government,Dr.Kenneth Ugbala, Ebonyi government also banned all religious gatherings attracting more than 50 persons.

The statement directed security agencies in the state to ensure that all schools within the state starting from nursery to tertiary levels were shut down before 12 noon on Friday 20th March 2020.

Ugbala in the statement also directed the state Ministry of Health and the state committee on anti-corona virus to quickly deploy all health officers to all markets ,rice mills,quarry,banks and other service centres to carry out random tests on people.

‘’All the night clubs and other night activities are by this announcement closed down. Every gathering of more than 50 persons in our religious worship centers are hereby prohibited . All markets and religious centers must deploy  a strategy of hand sanitizers  and deploy  other temperature checks at their entry and exit places.

‘’The State Government shall meet with religious Leaders in few days to discuss on the gathering of their worship centers. State shall also start on Monday the 23rd of March,  to do stop and test to all people entering Ebonyi State as a way of safe guarding our people.

‘’The health workers are immediately directed by this announcement by Friday 21st March to move from house to house to use 150 infrared thermometer device  to test all Ebonyians.   Government of Ebonyi State have proactively built a testing and quarantine centers at Unity square and the boarder between Enugu and Ebonyi and shall build more at all the exit and entering points of Ebonyi State as a way of ensuring that the health of every body entering or exiting Ebonyi State is ascertained’’He said.