COVID-19: Cross River seeks donor funding for isolation centres

SSG Barr Tina Abgor (right) and Secreatary of the Committee and Commissioner for International Donor Support, Dr Inyang Asibong (left) at the media briefing

Judex Okoro | Calabar

The Cross River Government has appealed to donors to assist the state in building three new isolation centres.

The Chair of the Cross River State COVID-19 Fund Raising and Mobilisation Committee and Secretary to the Cross River State Government (SSG) Barr Tina Bankor Agbor, who made the appeal during the inaugural meeting of her committee with the media in her office in Calabar on Wednesday, said the appeal is imperative considering that neighbouring states have recorded positive cases, with neighbouring country Cameroon confirming over 1,000 positive cases.

Abgor, who was accompanied by the Secretary of the Committee and Commissioner for International Donor Support, Dr Inyang Asibong, said the wide distance of local governments in the state from Calabar has made siting isolation centres at Ogoja and Obanliku necessary.

“The Fundraising and Resource Mobilisation Committee for COVID-19 appeals to our ever responsive conglomerates, business partners, distinguished sons and daughters of the state, special envoys, friends and well-wishers of the state to arise and support our efforts at keeping the state free and safe,” Agbor said.

“We require funds to urgently equip the three isolation centres, procure ambulances and other ancillary equipment for the centres, support the production and distribution of face masks, to all the nooks and crannies of the state, Conditional Cash Transfer, food palliatives and logistics for the Monitoring Task Force.

“The state government in collaboration with the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital has established an isolation centre which is presently being equipped with necessary facilities in conformity with the established standard.

“However, considering the far-flung nature of some local governments in the state from Calabar, it has become imperative that additional isolation centres be created at Ogoja and Obanliku local governments to cater for our people in those local governments,” she stated.

According to the state official, “it has become expedient that we must all come together to prepare against the eventuality of its spread into our state considering that neighbouring states of Akwa Ibom and Benue have recorded positive cases.”

She disclosed that the greatest challenge facing the state is trans-border entry and that the government is determined to upscale strict monitoring of the borders, maintaining that the border closure is not meant to stifle the state’s relationship with neighbouring states and Cameroon, but to prevent the spread of the virus into Cross River.

— Sun News Online