Come out of denial of COVID-19 existence – Gov Mohammed to Bauchi people

Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi State has admonished the people of the state to come to terms with the existence of the COVID-19 pandemic and come out of self-denial syndrome.

The governor gave the admonition on Wednesday at the Government House, Bauchi, shortly after he received the COVID-19 booster dose to flag off its administration on people who have taken the two doses of the vaccine in the state.

Governor Mohammed said it was very important for people to accept the presence of the pandemic and as such come out to be vaccinated against it.

Represented by the deputy governor, Senator Baba Tela, Mohammed said that his administration had been doing everything possible to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in the state as well as ensure effective tracing and treatment.

According to him, the state government under his leadership would not stop at anything with a view to ensuring that the entire citizens of the state were effectively covered by the vaccination exercise to fight the pandemic.

While declaring that the vaccine is not only safe but also effective, Mohammed urged citizens of the state to get vaccinated and assured that his administration would not relent in ensuring all measures against the spread of the virus are taken.

He said that since coming on board over two years ago, his administration had recorded degrees of success in healthcare delivery.

In his welcome address, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Samaila Dahuwa, informed that the state had recorded tremendous progress in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 through adequate surveillance mechanisms put in place.

Dahuwa, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said that the state government set up a functional cold room, which was adjudged as the best in the country, for the storage of vaccines

The commissioner then appealed to the people of the state to avail themselves of the rare opportunity of taking the required doses of the COVID-19 vaccine by coming out en mass to be vaccinated.

On his part, the Executive Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BSPHCDA), Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, while giving an overview of the pandemic in the state, disclosed that 26 people died of COVID-19 related complications out of the over 1,000 positive cases recorded in the state.

He informed that the state had received AstraZeneca and Moderna doses of the vaccines, which were administered on the people.

The BASPHCDA boss, however, lamented that there is apathy towards the vaccine by the people.

Dr Mohammed then explained that the COVID-19 booster jab would only be administered only those who had received the earlier two jabs, saying that those who were yet to be vaccinated should come to do so without any further delay.