By CHARLES IWUOHA

Ebonyi State Government says it is tracing contacts of 2,240 persons who may have come in contact with Coronavirus patients.

This was revealed by the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Barr Orji Uchenna Orji, while briefing newsmen in Abakaliki on Friday.

He said while the number for contact tracing was 2,240, the number of samples so far tested is 1,472.

Orji added that a total of 206 new cases of intercepted returnees was recorded across the 39 holding centres and that the state government has scheduled them for COVID-19 protocols.

He revealed that the Unity Square Isolation Centre is filled up hence the government has selected one of the general hospitals in the state (Elu-nwovu General Hospital) in Abakaliki Local Government Area for the services.

According to Orji, “Executive Council approved the release of the sum of Eighty Million Naira (N80,000,000.00)for the renovation and equipment of Elu-nwovu General Hospital which has been selected to serve as COVID-19 Treatment Centre, and further set up a committee to ensure that the project is completed within 10 days.

“Government has commenced the distribution of COVID-19 palliatives to the benefitting groups in the state, including Ebonyians in Abuja and Lagos.

“Polling unit compilation of list of beneficiaries of the palliatives across the state was comprehensively rounded off without any political consideration, and distribution shall soon commence at the various polling units.

“Council also approved increased testing protocols and feeding of the returnees kept at each of the 39 holding centres of the state,” he said.