…As SSG Ebie Leads State Taskforce On Oversight Function.
By Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe Esq.
Non adherence to Covid-19 protocols and the wrong impression by some citizens that the virus is not real, have been identified as some of the reasons for the rapid spread of corona virus in the country.
It must be stated again and again that Covid-19 is real, and does not recognise race, gender, age, class or social status. It is therefore important that we stay safe by adhering strictly to preventive protocols in offices and public places, including hotels, churches, mosques, etcetera.
It follows that governments especially Covid-19 Taskforce and security agents will have to intensify efforts to enhance enforcement, so as to successfully fight the spread of the virus.
In Delta State, positive cases continue to rise, a worrisome development which prompted the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Barrister Chiedu Ebie, to lead the state Covid-19 prevention taskforce team on oversight function to some hotels in Asaba, on Sunday.
Sadly, three hotels in the state capital got the sledge hammer of the taskforce as Ebie ordered that the defaulting hotels bars should be sealed for failing to effectively ensure the physical distancing and wearing of face masks by majority of customers at the time the taskforce carried out their unscheduled oversight function.
The hotels affected are; Hampton Towers, Golden Tulips and Vienna International Hotels, all in the state capital, Asaba.
Mr Ebie, decried the rising cases of Covid-19 in the state and warned hotel operators to adhere to the directives of not opening their bars and restaurants to people who were not guests in the hotels. He emphasised that people should buy drinks and food and take them to their rooms.
Addressing those caught flouting the rules, Mr Ebie said, “it is unfortunate that we are having these number of persons drinking in this small place; I know people that have died of Covid-19 and it is unfortunate that each and everyone of you here is educated and is aware about what to do.
“You have come here, you don’t know who is positive and to you, it doesn’t matter, but, to us, it is not a joke, it is our duty to enforce the protocols because, these are unusual times.
“We cannot compromise the lives of our people, the people should buy the drinks and go to their rooms; if one person is discovered to have Covid-19, this hotel will be shut down and you can imagine what it will cost to engage in contact tracing of everyone who is here. Don’t encourage people from outside to come in here and drink.”
“What happened today was essentially to check the level of compliance to the directives that were given as regards actions to check the spread of Covid-19.
“We got information that people were coming from outside the hotels to drink and we are committed to ensuring full compliance for the safety of our people.
“Deltans should help us by staying safe, for those that flouted the directives, we sealed some parts of their hotel.
“Help us contain the virus as any hotel that is flouting this directives will be shut down.”
“And on the rising cases of Covid-19 in the State, it was as a result of aggressive contact tracing. In one instance, there were 9 persons from one compound” Ebie disclosed.
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Photo: SSG Ebie addressing some defaulters at one of the hotels in Asaba, on Sunday.