COVID-19: Enugu Working Hard To Prevent Community Transmission

With 16 confirmed positive cases of Coronavirus, Enugu state government has said that it is working hard to prevent community transmission.

The state government has asked the state Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA) to redouble its efforts to ensure that all nooks and crannies of the state is covered in awareness and other preventive measures

The government said that so far, all confirmed cases in the state are persons with various travel histories, explaining that she was certain that the spread of the virus could be contained if people interstate movements are reduced.

Eight cases have so far been treated and discharged in the state.

Executive Secretary of the state PHCDA, Dr George Ugwu told reporters that in line with directives by the national PHCDA, the state has ensured that community transmission of the virus was controlled by first deepening and strengthening of risk communication and social mobilization, which involved giving out the correct information and dispelling rumours about the virus.

“In rural areas, people keep thinking it is a disease of the rich. But with our local platforms for social mobilization and health information sharing, we are able to keep the people informed on what to do in other not to contract the virus”. We intend to intensify it as much as possible” he said.

He explained that the agency has collaborated with traditional, religious leaders and other community leaders to ensure that the people at the grassroots are better informed about how to avoid contracting the virus.

He noted that PHC has been conducting training and orientation for workers in the state to ensure they are better informed and have the needed skills to identify and put victims of the virus in a holding area, adding that they are also being trained on the need to protect themselves while carrying out their duties

He further explained that the agency had spread its staff across the boundary local governments with necessary tools to help them screen people who are coming in and going out of the state.

He maintained that the virus is not treated at the Primary Health Care level, adding that the agency has used its network of workers to enhance contact tracing and surveillance in conjunction with the Nigerian Center for Disease Control, NCDC.

He further noted that the successes recorded so far would not have been possible if the state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwunayi had not placed priority on the well being of the good people of the state.

“The Ugwuanyi-led government has also ignited the process of endless provision of face masks in the state. Now, all local governments in the state are mass-producing face masks for use by the people” he explained.