Governor Udom Emmanuel on Tuesday said the COVID-19 pandemic did not meet the state unprepared even though the disease is a new one.
Emmanuel, who spoke at a media briefing held at the Government House, Uyo, also said that his administration had spent over N1 billion in its efforts at tackling the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
The governor further disclosed that the state government was currently constructing a 300-bed isolation centre at the Ituk Mbang General Hospital, adding that all the Isolation centres including the Ibom Specialist Hospital had functional ventilators.
The governor said although COVID-19 was a new disease that took the world by surprise, it did not meet the Akwa Ibom State Government unprepared.
Reacting to the proposed random testing for COVID-19 in the state, Emmanuel said: “It will absolutely be a waste of resources if we go on random testing.
“There is no one who needed to be tested that has not been tested. Everything we do follows the NCDC’s prescriptions.”
According to him, consultations were ongoing to decide on whether or not to lock the state down, promising to account for all donations received for palliatives in due course.