Imo State Taskforce on Prevention and Control of Coronavirus on Wednesday indicated that it planned to test 100 persons daily in the state as part of efforts to control and prevent the spread of coronavirus.
It therefore encouraged the people of the state to make themselves available for test to ascertain their status regarding COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking to newsmen on how Imo had recorded 42 COVID-19 cases, the chairman of the Taskforce, Prof. Maurice Iwu, said 25 of them were not from the state.
Iwu said seven of the cases were active, three were from a family of four where a three year old tested positive and had been sent to the Isolation Centre.
He said contact tracing of other persons who tested positive was ongoing and advised on the need for people to willingly submit themselves for testing.
Prof. Iwu said there was need for daily testing of people and that the Committee was targeting 100 persons daily and encouraged Imo people to make themselves available for the testing.
He said that the virus was real though sometimes a carrier might not be sick.
He also encouraged anyone who tested positive not to see it as a death sentence but isolate himself/herself from others in order not to spread it.
The chairman harped on the need for adherence to the national preventive guidelines of regular hand washing, sanitizing, wearing of face mask and social distancing, which he emphasized, “would free us from contacting the disease.”
Iwu expressed gratitude to the Imo State Traditional Rulers and Town Union Leaders on their efforts in safeguarding the boundaries by engaging community security agencies in all their communities and checkpoints and pleaded with them to continue in the fight as it was not over yet.
He also commended the media for their cooperation in reporting and sensitizing the public on the virus and charged them to verify any information before publishing it.
On how churches are adhering to the preventive guidelines, Prof. Iwu said the members were observing the preventive measures of hand washing before entering the church, wearing of face masks and maintaining of social distancing in the sitting order, and that, in the coming Sunday, the Taskforce would go round to monitor full compliance with the rules.
