Covid19: NCDC Release Of 6 Index Cases of Covid-19 Sends Jitters Into Residents of Taraba

BY AMEH IDUJAGI, JALINGO – The release of six positive index cases for COVID-19 by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Sunday has sent jitters into the spine of residents of Taraba State.

Even though, there is still no official announcement by the State Committee on Covid-19, findings however indicate that there are three cases from Bali Local Government Area with one each from Jalingo, Gassol and Lau Local Government Areas.

With the results, palpable fear has griped members of public in the state to the reality of the fact that Coronavirus has finally landed in the state.

Some of the residents that spoke to our correspondent said that the six cases in the state released by the NCDC called for more measures and therefore cautioned against the spread of the pandemic in the state.

Alhaji Adamu Garba, a resident of Jalingo, said that even though there is a total lockdown in the state, many people are still moving around just as many commercial vehicles with over loaded passengers are on the move along high ways in the state.

Garba noted that reports from across the state indicated that there is low compliance of the lockdown order, adding that the state technical committee will have to be serious in its duty to ensure full enforcement of the lockdown in all parts of the state.

Also speaking, Mr. John Mangala, a business man said it was unfortunate that some people are yet to accept that Coronavirus is real and called on the government to introduce more stringent measures with the view to protecting the lives of the people of the state. 

The Taraba State chairman on Technical Committee on Coronavirus, who is also the Commissioner for Health, Dr Innocent Vakkai could not be reached for comments on the matter as he did not pick or responded to calls and text messages sent to his telephone number.

However the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Danjuma Adamu, said they saw the figure released by the NCDC but it is only the chief executive of the state that has the power to make any statement on the NCDC release of the six cases.

According to Adamu; “The matter has been communicated to the Governor and very soon he will  make public announcement on the matter.”