Ugochukwu Iwuchukwu
The Rivers State Government says there is presently no record of Omicron in the state.
The Commissioner for Health in Rivers State Prof. Princewill Chike said this during media parley during the week.
Prof. Princewill Chike said only a test can detect the presence of Omicron in Rivers State.
”What is done is when you get your samples, you know in a pandemic, communication channels are very critical and key, you don’t just communicate what is not necessary for the public to hear. So for us in Rivers State, when samples are collected, from alerts given to us by WHO and then our communication with other countries knowing that Southern Africa has gotten strains like that, it deems on us that samples we have, we’ll also test for this variant. So the samples we’ve been collecting in the recent few days we’ve been sending for testing. So if there is any Omicron we’ll let the people know” he said.
The Rivers State Commissioner of Health, Prof Princewill Chike also said that Omicron and Covid-19 are no fluke.
He said residents should follow the advice of medical experts in the state.
”We still do jingles letting people know that covid-19 is real. The unfortunate thing I will tell the public is that you see, a medical doctor gets his Bachelor’s Degree in six-seven years which is not classified. In Nigeria everybody is a doctor, every person is a scientist, every person is a research scientist and they will not listen to the experts advise them. When they get any information they goggle one thing or the other. Before a doctor gives you paracetamol he knows why he is giving you that. Covid is real”
Prof Princewill Chike appealed to residents of the state to maintain the covid protocol introduced by the government.
He also advised Rivers people to avoid large gatherings and attend only events that are necessary to curtail the spread of covid-19.
