Ebonyi arrest, quarantines 700 interstate travel ban violators

Governor David Umahi has confirmed the arrest of 700 persons accused of illegally entering Ebonyi state, following an interstate travel ban instituted to curb the spread of Coronavirus in the state.

The Ebonyi state Governor who disclosed this after a joint meeting of the state security council and Covid-19 Committee, said the interstate travel ban violators who were rounded up across the state especially at the boundaries are currently being quarantined at the Pa Oruta Ngele Township Stadium, Abakaliki.

Umahi also revealed revealed that the state government will be decentralizing the quarantine procedure to the 64 Development Centres and the 13 local government areas.

He said;

“From henceforth, anybody entering the state should be taken to the nearest development centre and quarantined there.

“While there, they will attended to and monitored by the medical teams 24 hours of the day. Anyone who manifests symptoms of Covid-19 will then be brought to Abakaliki holding centre for tests.

“You are not doing yourself, family or community a favour if you allow any returnee stay at home without coming to the isolation centre. If the persons has it then he will likely spread it to more people in your area. So it is better you help bring such persons to any of the development centres for isolation.”

Commenting on the current state of the five confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, Governor Umahi said they are responding to treatment at the isolation centre at Unity Square, Abakaliki.

He also revealed that a 300-bed isolation centre which is currently under construction will be handed over to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki in the next 10 days.