Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, on Thursday, ordered the closure of all government offices in the state.

Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi

The directive was contained in a statement by Uchenna Orji, Commissioner for Information. The offices, according to the statement, will be shut from June 4 to June 10, 2020. This is to check the spread of coronavirus among government officials.

Umahi expressed concern over the infection rate among state Executive Council (EXCO) members. He stated that though the affected government officials were in stable condition, the closure was to ensure effective contact tracing.

The statement ordered that all civil servants are to work from their various homes but must leave their phones open to respond to official imperatives.

The statement said a state official, “Dr Richard Nnabo and his medical team should commence comprehensive decontamination of government offices including the new and old complexes”.

It added that all exco members and government officials, especially those of the Ministries of Finance and that of budget, should “undergo COVID-19 tests within this seven-day period.

“All workers, especially from the two aforementioned ministries, should go into self-isolation. All site operations shall, however, remain operational but must be with strict observation of COVID-19 protocols.”

Governor Umahi also advised all sons and daughters of Ebonyi living outside the state to avoid the risk of returning. He further pleaded with the people to take the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) protocols seriously.