COVID-19: Taraba Government to Implement Strict Directives

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Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku has ordered the closedown of markets and also bans Sunday church worship and Friday Jummah prayers as he holds a briefing with CAN and Muslim Council.

The governor in a press briefing yesterday announced the closedown of markets and worship centres.

The briefing which was communicated to the Deputy Governor and read by him stressed that the earlier directive of stay at home was not much adhered to and that he (the governor) has briefed the Commissioner of Police and NSCDC to enforce these directives to the end.

As contained in the briefing, the Governor outlined the number of measures taken by the Taraba state government in making sure Taraba State is free from recording any case of the Coronavirus.

1. The prevailing circumstances of the spread of the Coronavirus has compelled the Government to once again address and update the citizens on the situation of the pandemic as it affects our dear State.

2. First of all, let me assure you that there is no single reported case of the virus in the State and we are determined to keep it that way, with your support and with Almighty God on our side.

3. We are however not complacent, as robust and proactive measures have already been put in place to contain the spread of the virus to any part of the State.

4. As you must now be aware, one of the first early steps taken by this Administration was the constitution of a technical committee made up of medical personnel and seasoned technocrats. The committee has been provided with the enabling environment to perform its assignment without hindrance.

5. At this juncture, I wish to align this Administration with the laudable steps so far taken by the Federal Government and to assure that we are ready to partner with relevant Federal Agencies to curb the spread of the virus to Taraba State

6. Therefore, I urge Tarabans to cooperate and adopt the simple, universal acceptable hygienic protocol such as no handshake, no hugging, washing of hands, use of sanitizers and maintaining social distancing among other similar measures.

7. The good people of Taraba State, I wish to remind you that the ban on the public gathering of not more than 20 persons is still in place to safeguard the lives of all citizens.

8. Similarly, the Governor has engaged with the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria CAN and the Muslim Council which led to the decision to restrict large gatherings in places of worships for now. The leadership of the two religious organizations have also communicated the decision to their local government branches.

9. As you are also aware, we have taken the bold step of closing down all our interstate borders to restrict movement into the state. By this address, I am reiterating the earlier directive that the Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps must enforce strict compliance to this Executive Order.

10. The Government apart from closing down all Schools also directed civil servants on grade levels 1-12 to remain at home for now.

11. Fellow Tarabans, as a further step, the Government has now directed markets and shops in the state to prepare for a closedown, effective from Wednesday, 1st April 2020 by 11 pm, except those that provide essential services like pharmacies, food stores and petrol service stations. Let me caution that these measures should not be allowed to cause panic buying or be used by shop owners to hoard or hike the prices of goods and services

12. The government will study the implications of this directive so that it does not impact negatively on the people. We will continue to give periodic updates on the situation as the need may arise on TTV, TSBS, NTA, National Dailies, as well as our official Social Media handles for the purpose of disseminating the right information to the public.

13. Dear people of Taraba State, the situation is not beyond our capacity: we have taken precautions by stocking drugs, protective gears and hand sanitizers. We have also identified and equipped designated isolation centres.

14. I will not fail to acknowledge the tremendous support and sacrifices of our medical personnel at this crucial period. You are our first line of defence and I encourage you to continue to devote your time, energy and skills to defeat the virus.

15. Finally, ladies and gentlemen, the instructions to stay at home are to prevent the coronavirus. All hands must be on deck as isolation remains the best approach to containing the coronavirus. All hands must be on deck if we must overcome the scourge of Coronavirus also known as COVID 19

Thank you and God helps us all.

In attendance at the briefing was the Hon. Commissioners for Health, Information and Special Duties, Chairman CAN, Chairman Muslim Council etc.