THE Lafarge guest house used by the Italian coronavirus patient remains forlorn and deserted save the 39 staffers of the company believed to have primary or secondary contacts with him.
They are being kept at the facility to be observed for 14 days.
The quarantining of the contacts at the isolation centre began on February 28 with 28 inmates.
The Nation correspondent sought to see the place but was told that the facility is 5 kilometres away from the plant and that only medical personnel with knowledge of safety precautions required for the public health challenge coronavirus constitutes could be allowed with authorization from the appropriate quarters.
A source said the guest house was converted to isolation centre, so all traced contacts with the Italian were kept there.
However, Governor Dapo Abiodun has said that the coronavirus situation in the state is under control as the Italian said to have contacted the disease has fully recovered.
Abiodun said the Italian was in “good condition and would be discharged soon.”
The Governor spoke when the management team of Lafarge PLC, led by its Country Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Khaleed El Dokani, paid him a courtesy call in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The Governor said government would continue to regard the virus as a serious threat that deserves special attention, considering the state’s status as the nation’s industrial hub with a large number of expatriates, adding that the state was looking at the possibility of setting up a bio-security centre.
He said: “For us, the virus is a serious one and an issue that is in the front burner. We will not lower our guard, particularly due to the fact that we have large number of industries and expatriates here.
“We are enjoying lot of supports from the World Health Organization and the National Centre for Disease Control. We are going ahead to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”
He lauded the company for its prompt response by quarantining the first index case and the first sets of contacts, urging the company to sustain the level of attention given to the issue.
He also acknowledged that the company being the first cement factory in the state, has contributed to the state’s economy in the area of employment and corporate social responsibility.
Although the governor lamented the deplorable condition of some roads due to use of heavy duty trucks owned by major companies, he pleaded with Lafarge to look at ways of collaborating with the state government in maintaining those roads.
“The failure of some of these roads, like the Abeokuta-Ifo-Lagos Road, is due to heavy duty trucks. This road was not built to accommodate such trucks.
“Please look at the way you can collaborate with government in maintaining this road, which is probably the second busiest in the country, to alleviate the suffering of the people,” the governor pleaded.
He also explained the steps being taken to strengthen the private sector participation in the development of the state, saying various agencies like the Investment and Facilitation Promotion, Business Environment Council and Public Private Partnership Office, have been put in place to serve as one-stop shop and ensure that agreements are in line with the global best practices.
Speaking earlier, Mr. Dokani said his company operates two factories located in Ewekoro and Sagamu, with a combined asset worth $1.3 billion and employing more than 500 people.
He said his company was looking at ways of providing affordable houses to the people in its areas of operation, just as it has invested in a 50 Megawatts of power plant at Ewekoro, capable of producing 90 Megawatts, out of which 40 Megawatts would be available for the national grid.
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