The Enugu government on Friday urged all residents above 18 years to get COVID-19 vaccines to protect themselves, family and colleagues from the virus.

The Permanent Secretary in the state’s Ministry of Health, Ifeanyi Agujiobi, said mass vaccination remained the most effective way of checking the spread of COVID-19.

According to him, although the new Omicron variant has not been detected within Enugu, the state’s disease surveillance officers are on ‘red alert’ to keep the state safe.

He said the state government had made investments in getting the COVID-19 vaccines to Primary Health Care Centres, and other designated centres in each community.

The permanent secretary said that the jabs are administered free-of-charge, assuring that the vaccines are safe with no adverse side effects recorded so far in the state.

“The state currently has doses of the vaccine at each of its numerous vaccination points. The vaccines are administered from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except Sundays.

“This is courtesy of the huge investment of the state government in that direction,” he said.

Mr Agujiobi also urged the residents not to drop their guard against the pandemic, adding that social distancing and avoiding crowded areas should be strictly imbibed.

“We will also continue wearing face masks and frequently using our alcohol-based sanitiser on our hands.

“There is a need to improve our personal, family and neighbourhood hygiene levels to ensure that the virus, other viruses and bacteria are eliminated from our environment,” he said.

(NAN)