Akwa Ibom  to begin screening of passengers at Ibom airport

The Akwa Ibom government is set to begin the screening of passengers at the Ibom Airport in Uyo, the state capital as part of efforts to check the spread of the Coronavirus as it conducts a training meeting with the staff and management of the airport and airlines operating with the state.

Dominic Ukpong, commissioner for health said this in a statement, and added that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) have been distributed to health facilities across the state .

Ukpong who emphasized the need for good respiratory hygiene, regular and thorough washing of the hands with soap and running water as well as the regular use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers said a meeting had been scheduled with the committee on health in the State House of Assembly, representatives of the World Health Organisation and other key partners.

‘In a bid to strengthen and sustain screening of passengers at the Victor Attah International Airport, the ministry of health has scheduled a training meeting with the staff and management of the airport and airlines operating with the state ,’ he said.

He said members of the state emergency preparedness and response committee, key management staff of all public and private health facilities in the state and the 31 disease surveillance and notification officers would also be part of the meeting.

He assured all residents of Akwa Ibom that “we have beefed up the preparedness capabilities since the time the first confirmation of the case in China”, adding that it would use all the resources available at the disposal of the ministry of health to ensure that COVID-19 is prevented  in the state.

He advised all health workers to have a high index of suspicion when seeing patients while people should maintain at least 1.5 metres distance between yourself and anyone coughing or sneezing.