Ebonyi shuts hospital over coronavirus death

The Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, on Sunday, ordered the immediate closure of a private hospital, where the first coronavirus-related death in the state took place.

The governor also vowed that the management of the private hospital would face prosecution.

The Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Francis Nwaze, disclosed this to our correspondent on Sunday.

According to him, the governor gave the directive after a meeting with members of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control Response Team at the new Government House, Abakaliki.

Nwaze said the governor equally directed relevant authorities to immediately revoke the Certificate of Occupancy of the hospital’s landed property.

The PUNCH reported that a former Chief Medical Director at the Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana-Afikpo, Ebonyi State allegedly died of the viral disease, penultimate Wednesday.

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Nwaze quoted the governor as saying that the prosecution of the owners of the hospital would serve as a deterrent to other hospitals that might attempt to manage COVID-19 patients without adherence to the NCDC protocols.

“The governor, during the meeting, directed that the COVID-19 reports in the state should henceforth be made on a daily basis and should not be aggregated again,”

Nwaze added.

He quoted the governor as disclosing plans to build two new testing centres in the state.