The Benue State Government has reinforced security at its borders with neighbouring country of Cameroon in order to guard against cases of coronavirus spreading into the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Ngunan Addingi, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Makurdi, shortly after an expanded State Executive Council meeting.
Addingi said the council received reports about the influx of Cameroonian refugees into Benue and resolved to reinforce security at the borders to guard against incidents of COVID-19 infected persons coming into the state.
She also announced the released of additional N100 million to the State Action Committee on COVID-19 to curb the pandemic in the state.
The commissioner said out of the amount, N20 million would be used for completion of an additional isolation centre in Makurdi, adding that the council equally approved incentives for health personnel from the General Hospitals and announced plans for their training to guarantee expertise in handling coronavirus cases.
Addingi further disclosed that the state has got a team willing to donate two hundred beds for the additional isolation centres and that the officials were being expected into the state within the week.
Meanwhile, her counterpart, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Sunday Ongbabo, told journalists in addition to the screening at the borders, that thermometers would be provided to check body temperature.