EBOLA SCARE HITS BAYELSA

Ebola Scare Hits Bayelsa

Residents of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, were on Monday thrown into panic following the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in neighbouring port Harcourt.

The residents began panicking following the rumour that three Ebola patients had been secretly quarantined at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Okolobiri in Yenagoa by the state Ministry of Health personnel.

ThisDay reports that the Commissioner for Health and Head of the Ebola Virus Task Force, Ayebatonye Owei, has refuted the claims, describing it as the work of rumour mongers.

He said there was no iota of truth in the speculation, and assured members of the public that government had made adequate preparation to contain any outbreak of the disease in the state.

Owei further explained that the government has no reason to hide such information from the people as any outbreak of the dreaded disease is capable of spreading to all irrespective of status.

While assuring residents in the state who had been gripped by panic since last week, Owei categorically stated that there is no case of Ebola in Bayelsa State and described the speculations as purely false.