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Tag: Enugu

  • Enugu announces three new COVID-19 cases with travel history

    Enugu announces three new COVID-19 cases with travel history

    The Enugu State Government on Monday confirmed three new positive COVID-19 cases just as two others undergoing treatment tested negative for the virus.

    This was revealed on Monday in a statement signed by the honourable Commissioner for Health Obi Emmanuel Ikechukwu.

    Read full statement below:

    The Enugu State Ministry of Health wishes to announce that 2 more cases out of the previously active COVID-19 cases undergoing treatment in Enugu State have tested negative and are being assessed for discharge from the isolation and treatment centre.

    However, the state has unfortunately received 3 new results of persons who have tested positive for the virus.

    This means that Enugu State has had 15 cases in all, with 9 active cases and 6 cases discharged after testing negative.

    The two cases that have tested negative are case number 5 and her daughter who is case number 9.

    The 3 new positive cases, who entered Enugu State illegally during this ban on inter-state transportation, are as follows:

    Case 13 is a 25 year old man from Ondo State who lives in Lagos and made his way first to Akwa Ibom, then to Rivers State and finally to Obollo Afor in Udenu LGA of Enugu State, all within the period of closure of all land boundaries and inter-state movement. He developed symptoms while at Obollo Afor, the health authorities were alerted, he was tested and his result came out positive.

    Case 14 is a 38 year old male, from Okpuje in Nsukka LGA, who lives in Nassarawa State, and found his way back to Enugu State during the same period of lockdown.

    On suspecting he may have contacted the virus, he initially went into self-quarantine in a hotel at Nsukka. He subsequently developed symptoms and alerted the health authorities. He was tested and his test result also came back positive.

    Case 15 is a 28 year old female and a widow who hails from Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area, Enugu State and lives in Lagos State with her husband. She recently lost her husband in Lagos and was able to smuggle her husbands corpse back to Enugu State for burial, despite the lockdown in Lagos State and the national ban on inter-state movement . Her actions raised suspicion and the health authorities were alerted. She was subsequently tested and her result came back positive.

    These unfortunate figures are coming up as a result of individuals who have deliberately disobeyed the lockdown order and inter-state transportation as ordered by the Federal and State governments.

    In these times, we all need to comply strictly with all measures and regulations and exercise restraint from behaviours that will put others at risk.

    The good people of Enugu State are still encouraged to continue to comply with the directives of the Federal and Enugu State governments on containment of the spread of COVID-19 as well as the precautionary measures in the public health advisory of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, and the Enugu State Ministry of Health.

    The best options remain:
    Stay home when it is not necessary to go out.
    Wear a facemask/covering whenever you must go out.
    Keep a safe distance from other people at all times, which is social / physical distancing and avoid crowded places.
    Practice good respiratory hygiene (when coughing or sneezing)
    Clean surfaces with a 1 in 6 concentration of bleach and water.
    Wash your hands with soap for 20 seconds under running water as often as possible
    And when facilities for hand washing are unavailable, sanitize your hands as often as possible using an alcohol based hand sanitizer

    When You do these, you protect me, and when I do these, I protect you.

    Stay safe

  • COVID-19: Our entire confirmed positive cases entered Enugu illegally – Gov. Ugwuanyi

    COVID-19: Our entire confirmed positive cases entered Enugu illegally – Gov. Ugwuanyi

    Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, on Wednesday, addressed residents of the state on confirmed positive cases of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), disclosing that all the eleven cases are people who entered the state illegally despite the Presidential order on restriction of inter-state movement and the state government’s closure of all boundaries and inter-state transportation.

    Gov. Ugwuanyi further disclosed that the 11th confirmed positive case, announced by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on May 12, 2020, was a 40-year old male who had been in Kano since April 2020 and came back to Enugu on May 4, 2020.

    The governor declared that “it has become imperative that we all take responsibility to protect our dear state from the illegal influx of people into the state”.

    He therefore asked all those charged with the responsibility of protecting all land boundaries in the state “to put more efforts to ensure that our boundaries are properly secured to curb this unfortunate importation of the COVID-19 into the state”.

    Gov. Ugwuanyi urged the people of the state to continue to abide by the protocol of the NCDC, including the mandatory use of face masks/ covering in public, maintaining social/physical distancing and high level of personal and respiratory hygiene.

    He reassured the people that his administration will continue to do all within its powers to effectively contain the spread of the pandemic in the state.

    According to the governor, “on the 28th of March 2020, Enugu State had its index positive case, a couple from Isi-Uzo Local Government Area who then just returned from the United Kingdom and Dubai. Both have been successfully treated and discharged.

    “One month after the index positive cases was confirmed, on the 28th of April 2020, Enugu State had its 3rd confirmed positive case, a female indigene of Bauchi State with a history of travel to Bauchi and Plateau states.

    “On the 1st of May, 2020, Enugu State had its 4th confirmed positive case, a female indigene of Umuchigbo in Enugu East Local Government Area who together with her nine-year old daughter returned to Enugu from Lagos State where they reside after falling ill.

    “On the 2nd of May 2020, Enugu State had its 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th confirmed positive cases, all of whom are close contacts of the 3rd confirmed positive case and who travelled with the 3rd confirmed positive case to Bauchi and Plateau states.

    “On the 6th of May 2020, Enugu State had its 9th confirmed case. A female nine-year old daughter of the 4th confirmed positive case, who returned to Enugu with her already ill mother.

    “On the 7th of May 2020, Enugu State had its 10th confirmed positive case, a son of the 3rd confirmed positive case who also travelled with the mother to Bauchi and Plateau States”

  • Ugwuanyi intercepts 17 suspected herdsmen hidden in vehicle conveying cattle

    Ugwuanyi intercepts 17 suspected herdsmen hidden in vehicle conveying cattle

    Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State on Tuesday night defied the heavy downpour in Enugu State as he led a team to enforce the overnight dusk to dawn curfew imposed across the country by President Muhammdu Buhari.

    The 8 pm to 6 am curfew is part of the measures put in place by the Federal Government to curtail the spread of the coronavirus disease.

    Ugwuanyi, who has personally been monitoring the ban on interstate movement across the State’s borders, took time to also enforce the curfew.

    Apart from deviant residents who were caught driving during the curfew, the Governor’s team made a big catch when it intercepted a trailer load of cattle with 17 men hidden on the floor of the vehicle.

    The trailer was forced to stop at the Emene axis of Enugu at about 9pm.

    During a proper search, it was discovered that some humans were hidden on the floor of the vehicle.

    Under interrogation, the 17 men including the driver of the vehicle claimed they were cattle traders and were coming from Bauchi.

    The bewildered governor expressed concern as to how such a number of people found their way into the State under the pretence of transporting cattle.

    Asked why they were travelling nocturnally and clandestinely, they replied they were not aware of any curfew and closure of interstate borders, claiming also that they lost their way while trying to beat security checks.

    They were handed over to the Emene Police Division for further action.

    The Governor’s team continued the enforcement right deep into the Emene axis, where several defaulting motorists paid dearly.

    Just at the Orie Emene, the team intercepted 3 vehicles fully loaded with goods and said to be heading to Ogoja in Cross River State.

    The vehicles were coming from Onitsha and had beaten the security at the Enugu-Anambra boundary when luck ran out of them on their way to Ogoja, via Ebonyi.

    They also claimed they were unaware of the curfew imposed by the Federal government.

    The tyres of their vehicles were deflated and keys handed over to the Emene Division of the Nigeria Police.

  • Newly confirmed COVID-19 positive cases in Ebonyi don’t live in Enugu State – ENSG

    The Enugu State Government, Sunday, described as untrue claims by the Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi that two confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state were residents of Oji River Local Government.

    There was an announcement that the two newly confirmed COVID-19 positive cases in Ebonyi State were a couple who travelled to the State from Oji River Local Government Area in Enugu State, where the man purportedly deals in phone accessories.

    Following the claims, the Enugu State Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 Rapid Response Team immediately moved to investigate and identify their contacts in Oji River LGA for follow up.

    However, in a statement signed by Obi Emmanuel Ikechukwu, Hon. Commissioner, Health Enugu State, he said the team could neither find any proof that this couple lived in Oji River LGA of Enugu State nor could any ‘contact’ be traced.

    He said, “Further communication with the Health authorities in Ebonyi State revealed that this couple intentionally deceived the medical team on duty by saying they were coming from Oji River LGA in Enugu State, in order to hide the fact that they were on a trip from Lagos State, in an attempt to evade being quarantined.

    “The Enugu State Ministry of Health appeals to the good people of the State to remain calm and continue to abide by the preventive measures as directed by the Federal Government, Federal Ministry of Health, the NCDC and Enugu State Government.”

    He advised residents to take the following steps for their safety:

    “Stay home and only go out when absolutely necessary.

    “If you must go out, wear a face mask.

    “Practice physical/social distancing protocol.

    “Exercise proper respiratory hygiene.”

    “Wash your hands as often as possible with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds or

    “Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when there is no facility to wash your hands

    “Sanitize surfaces all around you as often as possible with a 1in6 mixture of bleach and water

    “If you think you are ill with COVID-19 symptoms or know someone with COVID-19 symptoms, just call these numbers 08182555550 or 09022333833 or the NCDC number 080097000010.”

  • Enugu CP closes motor park abetting illegal boundary crossing

    The Commissioner of Police in Enugu state, Mr Ahmad Abdurrahman, has closed Ugwuoba Garki Modern Motor Park close to the Ugwuoba/Amansi land boundary of the state on Enugu-Oji River-Awka Federal Highway.

    The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, said in a statement that the commissioner issued the directive while on tour of boundary areas in the state.

    Ndukwe said that the commissioner made sure intending inward and outward bound vehicles were turned back at the said boundary area.

    He said that the state police boss had observed that the park was being used by motorists in discreetly aiding the inward movement of travelers.

    According to him, the travellers are thereafter loaded in waiting commercial buses at the park and transported into the State.

    The police spokesman said that the commissioner directed Oji-River Area Commander to ensure proper supervision of the directive and ensure the park remained closed till further notice.

    He said that the commissioner also charged security personnel to be vigilant and resolute in the enforcement duty, and shun acts of corruption and complacency.

    Ndukwe said that the state police boss reminded them of the sensitivity of their duty in the containment of the coronavirus pandemic and made it clear that anyone found doing anything contrary would be severely sanctioned.

    He said that the head of the security agencies and top officers further proceeded to Enugu/Abia States border point on Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway.

    The Commissioner was in company of Air Commodore Chidiebere Obiabaka, Base Commander, 558 Services Base Group of the Nigerian Air-Force, Enugu and other senior top police officers and commanders in the state.

  • Enugu records new COVID-19 case

    The Enugu State Government has announced another confirmed case of COVID-19 in the state, bringing the total to nine.

    The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ikechukwu Obi, disclosed this in a statement in Enugu.

    Obi said that the case was a nine-year-old child contact of the fourth case reported in Enugu who had travel history.

    “The total number of cases ever reported in Enugu now rises to nine with seven active cases,” he said.

    He said that the patient had been admitted into one of the state’s isolation and treatment centres.

    The commissioner said further contacts were being identified and line listed while necessary samples would be taken for testing.

    Obi, who added that decontamination of the patient’s home had been promptly carried out, urged residents of the state to stay at home and only go out when absolutely necessary.

    “Further, when going out, you are strongly advised to wear an appropriate cloth face mask, avoid touching the front of the mask, and always remove the mask from both ears at once, wash and iron if possible once you get home.

    “Continue to practise physical and social distancing of at least two metres or six feet apart from each other,” he said.

    Obi also advised residents to practise respiratory hygiene by coughing or sneezing into their elbow and as well discard used tissue immediately into a safe and secure bin.

    “Wash your hands as often as possible with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds or the length of time it takes you to sing the happy birthday song twice or use an alcohol based hand sanitiser when there is no facility to allow you to wash your hands.

    “Finally, sanitise surfaces all around you as often as possible with a 1in6 mixture of bleach and water.

    “If you think you are ill with COVID-19 symptoms or know someone with COVID-19 symptoms, do not hesitate to call the numbers below 08182555550 or 09022333833 or the NCDC number 080097000010,” Obi said.

  • Market reopening:Enugu Govt frowns at breach of conditions, gives fresh warning

    Market reopening:Enugu Govt frowns at breach of conditions, gives fresh warning

    The Enugu State Government has expressed dismay over what it described as “a total disregard and breach of the undertaking made by the Ogbete Main Market Traders Association and the Pharmaceuticals Dealers Association” for the partial and guided reopening of the market.

    TheNewsGuru reports that as fallout of the recent meeting the Enugu State Government held with market leaders and security agencies, it was unanimously agreed that the Ogbete Main Market, Enugu, will be partially reopened on May 4, 2020, in the overall interest of the public.

    This was after leaders of the two market associations undertook that they will strictly abide by the agreed conditions and protocol issued by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) “which includes the observance of social/physical distancing, high level of personal hygiene and the compulsory use of face masks”.

    But the conditions were violated on Monday, the first day of the partial reopening of the market.

    Reacting to the development, the State government in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Nnanyelugo Chidi Aroh, also expressed deep concern “about the implications of this breach to the overall health and safety of the citizens of Enugu in this critical period of the COVID-19 Pandemic”.

    The government directed the leadership of the Ogbete Main Market Traders Association and the Pharmaceutical Dealers Association, to strictly abide by the conditions for the partial and guided reopening of the market.

    The statement warned that “the state government will act swiftly to protect the health and safety of the people of Enugu in the event of any further breach of the conditions for the partial and guided reopening of the Market” .

    Full text of the statement:

    “BREACH OF CONDITIONS FOR THE PARTIAL AND GUIDED RE-OPENING OF THE OGBETE MAIN MARKET

    “1. Recall that on the 1st of May 2020, the Enugu State Government after a meeting with Ogbete Main Market leaders and Security agencies approved a partial and guided opening of Ogbete Main Market in the overall interest of the people of Enugu.

    ” 2. The resolution to re-open the market was made upon the plea and undertaking by the leaders of Ogbete Main Market Traders Association and Ogbete Pharmaceutical Dealers Association to strictly abide by the protocol issued by the Nigerian Centre of Disease Control which includes the observance of social/physical distancing, high level of personal hygiene and the compulsory use of face masks.

    “3. Unfortunately, the events of today at Ogbete main market was a total disregard and breach of the undertaking made by the Ogbete Main Market Traders Association and the Pharmaceuticals Dealers Association.

    ” 4. The State Government is seriously concerned about the implications of this breach to the overall health and safety of the citizens of Enugu in this critical period of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

    ” 5. Therefore, the Ogbete Main Market Trader Association and the Pharmaceutical Dealers Association are hereby directed to strictly abide by the conditions for the partial and guided opening of the market.

    ” 6. The State Government will act swiftly to protect the health and safety of the people of Enugu in the event of any further breach of the conditions for the partial and guided opening of the Market, Nnanyelugo Chidi Aroh MNIM, FIDRPN, ACArb., Hon. Commissioner for Information, Enugu State”

  • Two children among four who test positive for COVID-19 in Enugu

    Two children among four who test positive for COVID-19 in Enugu

    The Enugu State Ministry of Health has confirmed four new cases of COVID-19 in the state.

    A statement by the State Commissioner of Health, Dr Ikechukwu Obi, on Saturday night, shortly after the announcement by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, said the four new cases comprised two adults and two children.

    Obi said, “These new cases are two adults and two children, who live in Enugu and hail from Bauchi State.

    “They travelled to Jos, Plateau State, with the case that was reported as the 3rd positive case in Enugu.

    “This brings the status of positive cases ever reported in Enugu to 8 with 6 active cases.”

    The health commissioner, however, appealed to the residents of Enugu State to continue to observe all safety measures prescribed by the NCDC.

  • Enugu confirms fourth COVID-19 case as 39-year-old Lagos returnee

    The Enugu State Government on Friday confirmed its fourth COVID-19 case.

    According to the Commissioner for Health, Obi Emmanuel Ikechukwu, the state now have four cases in all with two discharged and two still positive.

    The new case according to the commissioner is a 39 year old who used to live and work in Lagos.

    Briefing newsmen on the development, the commissioner said: “Recently he (the case) travelled back to Enugu on the 22nd of April, took ill subsequently and reported to a mission Hospital in the state.

    Staff of the hospital alerted the State COVID 19 response team days later and samples were taken on the 29th of April which have turned out to be positive today 1st May 2020. This new case is not a contact of the 3rd case.

    Thus far cases reported in Enugu have had positive travel history”.

    “Greater vigilance at the ports of entry into Enugu State is advised. We are now reporting cases that are not primary contacts of confirmed cases,” he said.

    The commissioner however advised residents not to panic but to observe the recommendations of the State Ministry of Health:

    1. Stay at home as much as you can.
    2. Use a clean cloth mask daily if you have to go out
    3. Do not touch the front of the mask while wearing it
    4. Remove your mask only from both ears at the same time
    5. Wash your cloth mask, dry and iron it everyday
    8. Maintain respiratory hygiene when you have to cough or sneeze
    9. Maintain social/physical distancing always
    10. Wash your hands as often as you can with soap and running water
    11. When you can’t wash your hands use an alcohol based hand sanitizer frequently.

    Call these numbers if you think you may have or know someone who may have Covid-19 symptoms, 08182555550 or 09022333833, or the NCDC number 080097000010.

  • COVID-19 lockdown: Enugu govt, market leaders, security agencies, resolve on partial, guided opening of Ogbete Main Market

    COVID-19 lockdown: Enugu govt, market leaders, security agencies, resolve on partial, guided opening of Ogbete Main Market

    The Enugu State Government, security agencies, leaders of Ogbete Main Market Traders Association and Ogbete Pharmaceutical Dealers Association, have unanimously resolved that there will be a partial and guided reopening of Ogbete Main Market, Enugu.

    This decision was part of the outcome of today’s meeting between Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, leadership of the market associations and the security agencies in the state, held at the Government House, Enugu.

    A statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Simon Uchenna Ortuanya, disclosed that the schedule for the partial and guided opening of the Market is as follows:

    Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays: 8am-2pm Daily

    i. Pharmaceutical Dealers.

    ii. Provisions.

    iii. Restaurants

    Tuesdays and Thursdays: 8am – 2pm Daily

    i. Wholesale Food Dealers.

    Other resolutions reached at the meeting, according to the statement, are:

    “That the Market is open to shop owners only, to enable them serve their customers outside the Market.

    “That under no circumstance shall customers be allowed to enter the Market.

    “That the Akwatta Section of the Ogbete Main Market, Enugu, remains closed.

    “That all shop owners entering the Market must wear protective face masks, maintain/observe proper personal hygiene and physical/social distancing protocol as stipulated by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), including regular hand washing with soap or sanitizer.

    “That for the avoidance of doubt, no customer is allowed to enter the Ogbete Main Market, Enugu, except shop owners, who will only act as vendors to their customers outside the Market.

    “That the security agencies are hereby directed to enforce these decisions and any violation will be dealt with according to law.

    “That these measures will be renewed on weekly basis.”