Majority of residents in Akwa Ibom State are not complying with the government directive on the use of face mask, the government has said.
The Akwa Ibom government recently issued an order, making it mandatory for residents to wear face mask whenever they are in public to halt the spread of coronavirus.
The Commissioner for Information in the state, Charles Udoh, said in a statement on Friday that people were wearing the mask wrongly, “while others exchange or share it with friends and family members.”
The statement was issued by a director in the ministry of information, James Edet, on behalf of the commissioner.
“It should be noted that face mask is a personal item and should therefore, not be shared with anyone,” the statement said.
Local production of face mask has surged in Akwa Ibom since the government made it compulsory for residents. Vendors now hawk various kinds of face masks at road intersections in Uyo.
“For public safety, face masks should not be tried on before purchase from vendors,” the government statement said. “Locally made face masks should be washed, sun-dried, and ironed after each use.”
The Akwa Ibom government eased the lockdown from April 4, but then introduced a dust-to-dawn curfew, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily.
The ban on religious and social gathering, and funerals are still in place, however. Markets are opened only three times a week – Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
There are 17 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Akwa Ibom as of April 7.