COVID-19: Bauchi Govt provides face mask for citizens

From Beatrice Gondyi, Bauchi

The Bauchi state government has flagged-off the distribution of face masks as one of the ways of curtailing the spread of the Coronavirus disease.

Flagging off the distribution of 700,000 masks in Bauchi, on Thursday, July 23, 2020, Governor Bala Mohammed described as a significant milestone the distribution of locally produced face masks in checking the spread of coronavirus disease at the community level.

The governor explained that the individuals can be either symptomatic, asymptomatic, or a patient with full-blown coronavirus, stressing that beneficiaries of the masks distribution are among the most vulnerable members of the society.

He said however that adequate combating the spread of the disease requires among others, ensuring physical distance, wearing of face masks, contact tracing, and isolation or quarantine.

The governor who was represented by his deputy, Senator Baba Tela, said, “The more we are used to these face masks, the less likely we will be contracting the disease.

“Another importance measures I must be quick to remind us is the use of washing our hands constantly with soap and running water or the use of hand sanitizers”, he added.

Bala, therefore, reminded the people that the state is still under the grave threat of this disease, saying he was the first index case where he went in isolation or quarantine for twenty days.

He further enumerated, “My brother the Deputy Governor, Sen. Baba Tela, two commissioners – Finance and Local Government and even my close friend in this State were equally infected”.

According to him, many citizens have one experience or the other of losing their relatives, friends, associates and many people one does not know, hence the need he said, for everyone to take every measure of containing the spread of the disease.

The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment towards the provision of healthcare to the people as exemplified with the establishment in collaboration with the North East Development Commission of the Bauchi State Molecular Reference Laboratories at the State Specialist Hospital and ATBUTH, Bauchi.

Other strategies in healthcare delivery, he enumerated, included prompt isolation and hospitalized case management of all confirmed cases, active surveillance, contact tracing, risk communications strategy and provision of 3 square meals to all isolated patients.

He stated that the government resolved to commence community active case search in some LGAs is in line with NCDC guideline of actively testing people to ensure that the virus has been eradicated in the community before the state will be certified COVID-19 free.