COVID-19: Delta reacts as Thisday Editors rate Okowa's response excellent ~ Truth Reporters

The Delta State Government has reacted to the Editors of Thisday rating of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for Excellent Leadership in his response to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Editors of Thisday in their concluding appraisal of the 36 state Governors' response to the pandemic titled "COVID-19: The State of States’ Response (2)", noted that the states were rated on the strength of their response to COVID-19, their cooperation with Federal Agencies and Committees as well as the challenges militating against a smooth run of the battle against the pandemic.

The State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu in a statement on Monday in Asaba, thanked the Editors of Thisday for their unbiased rating, saying it was a true reflection of the proactive measures and leadership strategies adopted by Governor Okowa in the fight against the novel Coronavirus.

He said the state truly was reaping from the benefit of having the Governor who is a medical doctor on the saddle.

He said prior to the state recording her index case on April 7, 12 holding centres and 4 treatment centres had been established with a Response Committee headed by the Governor and other relevant officials constituted.

Aniagwu remarked that the treatment centres were duly furnished with the state-of-the-art equipments like the ventilators for effective management of would be patients whose health challenge might progress to a very critical state.

He added that a two weeks lockdown was ordered with boundaries closed to curtail further spread of the virus into the state and was later extended to another two weeks.

"We received with gratitude to God the good news of the Editors of Thisday rating Governor Ifeanyi Okowa's response to the management of COVID-19 pandemic in the state as Excellent.

"The Governor was rated Excellent alongside his Lagos and Kaduna State counterparts for their proactive measures so far taken in the war against the pandemic.

"For us in Delta, we are not surprised because the rating is indeed a true reflection of the enterprising steps the Governor took in fighting the pandemic in the state.

"During the lockdown, the State Government distributed food palliatives and one million face masks to vulnerable people in the state in a bid to cushion the effect of the lockdown on them.

"While we commend the Editors of Thisday for their insight and unbiased appraisal, we also appreciate our people for their cooperation thus far in complying with the set standards by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

"We urge them to continue to be vigilant, wear face masks in public places, regular washing of the hands and maintaining social/physical distance." he stated.