The Socio Economic Research and Development Centre, (SERDEC), has urged the Kogi State Government to join the global efforts toward curbing the spread of COVID-19 by setting up a State Health Security Response Team.
The SERDEC Executive Director, Mr. Tijani Abdulkareem, in a press statement on Friday in Lokoja, noted that globally the COVID-19 has been declared by World Health Organization (WHO) as pandemic, wreaking socio-economic activities, disrupting financial market, collapsing crude oil price, forcing global economies into recession with several deaths and thousands quarantined.
According to him, with the growing cases in Nigeria, the Federal Government is shutting down schools, cancellation of worship services, restriction of movement/travels, encouraged self isolation and promoted social distancing.
He said that in preparation to tackle the virus within Kogi State, the Government needed to have a coordinated action plan, precautionary measures designed by a State Health Security Response Team that would monitor & track suspicious cases from within communities.
He said that the response team would also provide the right information, set up strategic communication campaign to educate Kogities on public hygiene, discourage social gathering, events, suspends oversea travels by state officials and join national and global efforts toward tackling the virus.
SERDEC expressed solidarity with the global community and health workers risking their health to save lives, and called on citizens, religious & traditional leaders, community based organization to spread the message on personal hygiene.
”This is not a period of panic but to act together to provide the right information, report suspicious cases, embrace social distancing and maintain hygiene behavior as precautionary measures toward combating the spread of the virus,” Abdulkareem advised.