The Enugu State Government has revealed that it would engage the services of soldiers to enforce wearing of face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was revealed in a statement on Monday by the Expert Medical Advisory Committee, EMAC, which said Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was concerned that people were dying mysteriously in the state and attributed the deaths to COVID-19 and not malaria.
The committee also added that the state government was worried by the care free attitude of citizens to wearing of face masks and adherence to other COVID-19 preventive measures, in the face of rising number of positive cases.
READ ALSO: COVID-19: Enugu grants tax relief to residents
The Chairman of the committee, Prof. Emmanuel Ejim, also said that people should no longer delude themselves that COVID-19 was a scam as widely perceived in the state.
According to him, the state government was talking with the General Officer Commanding, GOC, 82 Division, Nigerian Army, Enugu, to authorize the engagement of soldiers to enforce the preventive measure, particularly, wearing of face mask as “the police have not been helpful, especially in the metropolis”.
Ejim also lamented that of state’s current 261 positive cases, over 70 of them were health workers, representing about 25% of the number, saying; “the ongoing hand hygiene activities that were being adhered to initially are slowly slumping into the complacent neglect.
“The nonchalance, non compliance is worrisome; the outbreak should be of serious concern to the citizens. Covid-19 is killing us, it is with us, it is killing us, it is everywhere, people are dying of covid-19 not malaria. Enugu needs at least three testing centres with one located in Nsukka,” he added.
Opinions