By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory ,FCT, Health and Human Services Secretariat has expressed worry over the violation of measures to curb the spread of coronavirus during the burial of Abba Kyari, chief of staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Late Abba Kyari died on Friday after battling with coronavirus pandemic for weeks in a Lagos hospital, and was moved to Gudu cemetery in Abuja, where he was buried on Saturday.
Few hours after the burial a video started trending on the social media, showing how social distancing was ignored at the Abba Kyari’s burial.
Reacting to the video, the FCT acting secretary, health and human services Secretariat, Mohammed Kawu described the removing of Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, by those that participated in the burial as unprofessional act.
In a statement issued by Kawu late yesterday, through Abubakar Sani, said : “We noted with concern the video trending on social media, showing a man pulling off his Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) unprofessionally after participating in the burial of the late Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Malam Abba Kyari, at the Gudu cemetery in Abuja.
“The Public Health Department has since taken neccasry action. The said PPE left over by the individual has been professionally evacuated and the entire cemetery has been decontaminated.
“In addition, all the individuals including the man in question that participated in the burial and were not properly kitted have been identified and are being isolated”
The statement explained that necessary tests would be conducted on all those that participated in the burial to determine their level of exposure and ensure that they do not infect other people.
“FCT Administration has also taken steps to ensure that all future burials of victims of COVID 19 are conducted in line with protocols established by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)”
It said residents are therefore urged to remain calm and rest assured that the FCT Administration will continue to do all that is necessary to curtail and eventually end the spread of the Coronavirus in the FCT.