Gov Ayade

The Cross River State Government has appealed to the Federal Government to assist it with funds and test kits in containing the Coronavirus spread.

Dr Betta Edu, the State Commissioner for Health and Chairman, COVID-19 taskforce team, made the appeal on Wednesday in Calabar.

Edu also appealed to the federal government to set up a vaccine producing factory in the state.

She said that Cross River was among the three states in the country without the virus.

She said that the Nigeria Centre for Disease control (NSDC) had sent only 50 test kits which was not enough for the state with over 4.5million population.

According to her, with the release of funds and more test kits, samples will be taken across the state to Irrua in Benin for laboratory testing.

She called on the federal government to send more security personnel to police the borders against Cameroonian coming into the state.

The commissioner said that the NCDC staff that are expected in the state to commence collection of samples would be quarantined for 14 days.

She noted that the state was more interested in the prevention of the virus than its management.

“As a state, we have shut down borders and all land entrances to prevent the spread of the virus. It is not compulsory that all states will be affected.

“The state government is doing all it can to ensure that it remains COVID-19 free. The no mask, nomovement policy had helped alot in achieving the fight against the pandemic,” she said.

The commissioner warned those trespassing through various routes into the state to desist from the act, adding that “the virus does not move, people move with the virus”.

She said that they were interested in testing any suspected case of COVID-19 that meets the NCDC requirements.

She further said that health surveillance staff at the border areas have been advised to focus more on persons with symptoms.

“We dont need a ventilator at this moment, what we want is test kits to help get more samples for laboratory analysis,”  she said.