The Ministerial Task Team on Covid-19 headed by Dr. Nasir Sani Gwarzo has commended Gombe state Government for putting in place, a robust operational strategy which has helped in checking the community transmission of the coronavirus in the state.

The task team was in Gombe at the instance of the Minister of health to assess the state’s preparedness and to give professional advice where necessary.

The leader of the team, Dr. Nasir Sani Gwarzo, who is also the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment, during a courtesy visit to Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya at the Government House, commended the state for its timely response in containing the Coronavirus Pandamic in the State.

“At coordination level, the State is well prepared with a formidable team comprising of people with track records and sound backgrounds on public health and infectious diseases that were assembled even before the outbreak of the Pandemic in the State which is a right step in the right direction”.

He lauded the political will of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya without which he said the Task force will not have recorded the successes so far achieved in curtailing the spread of the virus and creating awareness on the pandemic.

Dr. Gwarzo who observed that the proactive measures put in place by the state in imposing some restrictions and closing it borders as well as in subjecting those intercepted at the entry points to quarantine, test and isolation have greatly helped in protecting the state and curbing the spread of the virus, advised the Government to strengthen surveillance the boundaries considering the State’s location in the centre of the Northeast.

He noted that majority of positive cases reported from Gombe State were returnees or travellers transiting through Gombe.

The Task Team leader said having visited some health facilities in the State, the team is satisfied with the measures put in place to contain the spread of the Coronavirus.

He however stressed the need for the state to improve its testing capacity by putting its testing centre into effect.

He assured of the task team’s support to ensure that the State has a testing Centre so as to address the anxiety patients have to go through before getting their test results.

“We are aware that the state Government has purchased PCR machines in readiness for the establishment of a testing centre. When we go back we will do whatever it takes to mount additional pressure and advocacy to ensure that Gombe is prioritized for a testing centre, especially considering the strategic location of the state.”

Responding, Governor Inuwa Yahaya described the visit by the ministerial task team as timely, saying it will help encourage the state and put her on the right pedestal in line with the NCDC’s guidelines and International best practices.

The governor attributed the recent successes being recorded in the state to the proactive measures adopted by the government, considering the sad development in some affected states.

Governor Yahaya lamented the delay in arrival of the state’s PCR machine after two months of procurement due to the shutdown of International airports and urged NCDC to intervene in fastracking the arrival of the machine so as to enable the state improve its testing capacity.

Governor Yahaya said Gombe state government is committed to adopting corrective measures and other technical advice that the ministerial task team may have come up with.

The Ministrial task team had earlier met with the Professor Idris Mohammed- led Task force on covid-19 at its secretariat and also visited Amada quarantine zone and Kwadon isolation centre where Dr Sani Gwarzo expressed satisfaction with the serenity of the environment and the facilities put in place, commending the frontline workers and encouraging the health workers to continue to be humane to the patients under their care.

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