Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has ordered his deputy, Benson Abounu, to subject himself for coronavirus (COVID-19) testing.
Ortom made this known to journalists in Makurdi on Saturday after a meeting of the State Action Committee on COVID – 19.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) had announced that the state has recorded one positive case of Coronavirus.
According to the governor, Abounu recently attended a National Economic Council meeting in Abuja and two attendees at the meeting have contracted the coronavirus.
He said: “I have also told my deputy governor to go for a test having returned from the National Economic Council meeting in Abuja even though he told me that he had no close contact with those suspected to have contracted the virus.”
As part of proactive measures to prevent the spread of the disease in the state, the governor has directed that all major markets be closed from Monday, 30th March 2020.
He reiterated the ban on social gatherings such as funerals, weddings, Church as well as Mosque activities until the situation improves.
The governor added that all roads linking Benue and other states may be closed in the days to come.
Ortom stated however that shops and medical stores would be open to the public with hand sanitisers placed at strategic entry points to the shops for use by customers.
He urged indigenes and residents to stay at home and discourage any kinds of visits, especially by those living outside the state, should be discouraged.
As of the time of filing this report, Nigeria now has 81 confirmed cases of Coronavirus Pandemic.
