By Modupe Gbadeyanka
All civil servants from grade levels 1-12 in the Bayelsa State Civil Service have been directed to resume work from Tuesday, September 1, 2020.
This directive was given by the state Governor, Mr Douye Diri, on Monday during a meeting with the state’s COVID-19 Taskforce in Government House, Yenagoa.
He ordered the Head of Service, Mrs Biobelemoye Charles-Onyeama, to ensure that workers abide by all COVID-19 safety guidelines when they resume.
“We insist on the use of face masks, especially in urban areas. We are appealing to the sensibilities of people to comply with the COVID-19 protocols and we need to sustain the enlightenment on the existence of the virus.
“Our duty is to ensure that the presidential directive on the curfew is obeyed and fully implemented. We do not want to be seen as a state that is acting contrary to such directives,” the Governor said.
On March 26, 2020, Mr Diri had asked workers in the cadre to stay at home in order to curtail the spread of the pandemic in the state.
At the meeting today, the Governor said the COVID-19 restrictions were being reviewed following the flattening of the pandemic curve in the state.
On the resumption of schools, he noted that while students in terminal classes were writing their examinations, all primary six pupils are to also resume academic activities as the government was evaluating the situation pending when other classes would resume.
Governor Diri also set up a sub-committee made up of the Technical Adviser on Security, Mr Boma Spero-Jack, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Inodu Apoku and the service commanders to liaise with proprietors of night clubs, supermarkets and banks to seek ways of ensuring compliance with the presidential guidelines on COVID-19.
The Governor, who stressed that the presidential curfew from 10pm to 4am was still in place, insisted on the use of face masks, hand sanitisers and maintaining social distance in order to avert a second wave of the infection as predicted by health experts.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Mr Inodu Apoku, said the total number of COVID-19 test samples in the state from inception of the outbreak to date was 10,234, laboratory-confirmed cases 370, number of active cases 24 while the total number of deaths was 21.
According to him, 600 candidates writing the West African Examination Council (WAEC) in the state were screened out of which 20 tested positive to the virus.
Also speaking, the Chief Medical Director, Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Prof. Dimie Ogoina, expressed gratitude to Mr Diri for the establishment of a molecular laboratory diagnostic centre and approval of the employment of 10 medical personnel for the management of COVID-19 patients.
Aduragbemi Omiyale