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Secretary to State Government,Chiedu Ebie Esq. (right), addressing COVID-19 preventive protocols defaulters at Hampton Towers and Spa, Asaba, Delta State during the monitoring exercise by the COVID-19 Containment Committee to ensure full compliance in the State.

For flouting set protocols to check the spread of Covid-19, Delta State Taskforce on Covid-19 containment ,Sunday evening, sealed the bars of three hotels in Asaba.

Bars of Hampton Towers, Golden Tulips, Vienna International Hotels were sealed by the taskforce led by the Secretary to Delta State Government, Mr Chiedu Ebie.

At the hotels where bars were sealed, the bars were crowded without any sign of social distancing, and most of the guests were not using face masks.

Mr Ebie, decried the rising cases of Covid-19 in the state and warned hotel operators to adhere to the directives of not opening their bars and restaurants to people who were not guests in the hotels.

He emphasised that people should buy drinks and food and take them to their rooms.

Addressing those caught flouting the rules, Mr Ebie said, “it is unfortunate that we are having these number of persons drinking in this small place; I know people that have died of Covid-19 and it is unfortunate that each and everyone of you here is educated and is aware about what to do.

“You have come here, you don’t know who is positive and to you, it doesn’t matter, but, to us, it is not a joke, it is our duty to enforce the protocols because, these are unusual times.

“We cannot compromise the lives of our people, the people should buy the drinks and go to their rooms; if one person is discovered to have Covid-19, this hotel will be shut down and you can imagine what it will cost to engage in contact tracing of everyone who is here.

“Don’t encourage people from outside to come in here and drink.”

Addressing the press after the inspection visits, Mr Ebie stated, “What happened today was essentially to check the level of compliance to the directives that were given as regards actions to check the spread of Covid-19.

“We got information that people were coming from outside the hotels to drink and we are committed to ensuring full compliance for the safety of our people.

“Deltans should help us by staying safe, for those that flouted the directives, we sealed some parts of their hotel.

“Help us contain the virus as any hotel that is flouting this directives will be shut down.”

Speaking on the rising cases of Covid-19 in the State, the SSG said it was as a result of aggressive contact tracing, disclosing,”in one instance, there were 9 persons from one compound.”

Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu was among those who were in the team who visited the hotels that included Toscana Villa Hotel, Top Rank Galaxy Hotel, Elomas Hotel, among others.