The Government on Monday said it has activated the state Emergency Response Centre to tackle any case of Coronavirus in case of an outbreak in the State.
Dr Innocent Vakkai, the State Commissioner for Health, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Jalingo.
Vakkai noted that following, the outbreak of the virus in Nigeria with the first case from an Italian, who landed in Lagos and visited Ogun State, the state government has activated its surveillance system to prevent an outbreak of the disease in the State.
“Immediately the first case of the virus was recorded in Nigeria, Gov Darius Ishaku made a broadcast where he appealed to the people of the State not to panic as the government was doing everything possible to prevent the outbreak of the disease in the State.
“We have since activated our surveillance systems and the Federal Medical Centre and Specialist Hospital all in Jalingo are adequately prepared to handle such case should we record any case in the State.
“I am personally in touch with the Director General of the Centre for Disease Control and I can assure you that we are well prepared.
“Our surveillance officers are well positioned. We have a surveillance officer stationed at the Danbaba Suntai airport and other entry points because we don’t want to take chances,” he said.
The Health Commissioner, who enumerated some of the symptoms of the virus to include; soul throat, sneezing, fatigue and fever, added that handbills were being printed to distribute to the people of the State to enlighten them of the disease.
He enjoined the people to maintain personal hygiene and report any patient with such symptoms to the nearest hospital or surveillance officer for immediate action.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Taraba has been battling with recurrent Lassa Fever outbreaks over the years before the arrival of coronavirus to Nigeria.
