“We got the information on time, so I used the police to intercept them; apart from that, I think so far, the curve has declined drastically. The intelligence gathering approach is deployed by Akwa Ibom Government to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic."
Akwa Ibom Government says it has intercepted 68 suspected COVID-19 patients at the border.
Governor Udom Emmanuel made the disclosure when hosted the State Caucus of the National Assembly in Uyo on Sunday.
He said, “We got the information on time, so I used the police to intercept them; apart from that, I think so far, the curve has declined drastically. The intelligence gathering approach is deployed by Akwa Ibom Government to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The approach has paid off for the state as the technique has enabled us foil the attempt of 68 suspected COVID-19 patients invading the state.”
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the National Assembly members were in the state for a tour of the newly constructed Isolation Centre at Ituk Mbang.
The Isolation Centre was for quarantine, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases located within the premises of Methodist General Hospital, Ituk Mbang, in Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.
The governor said it was gathered that the suspects, mainly from distant states, were liaising with their collaborators within the state to come into the state.
Emmanuel noted that they wanted to take advantage of the robust healthcare system designed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
According to him, the graph of the spread of the virus has taken a downward curve indicating a sharp decline in recorded cases.
He said,“I have text messages where people were trying to communicate with their colleagues here and those colleagues encouraged them to move into the state with the assurance that people are better treated here,” the governor said.
He also said the suspects attempted to enter the state through unconventional borders and were apprehended.
“Yesterday, we got a call from one village in Etinan Local Government Area that somebody had sneaked into the state. People even enter through water and when they come in, they declare themselves to be having symptoms so we can pick them up for treatment because they hear testimonies and even calling people to confirm.
“Our Isolation Centre should be as good as where any National Assembly person should stay. So, we have tried to make everybody comfortable.”