Ebola Outbreak: Rivers residents stay indoors

Residents of Rivers State, particularly Port Harcourt, the state capital, have been jittery since the Ebola Virus Disease claimed its first victim in the state on Thursday.Besides, over a hundred persons that had contact with the victim, Dr. Sam Enemuo, had been identified and restricted.Enemuo, who contracted the virus from a patient, died on Thursday.SUNDAY PUNCH investigations revealed that despite the assurances by the state government, residents have been consumed by fear of contracting the virus.Residents of Evo Road near the Good Heart Hospital — the hospital where Enemuo was said to have died — have refused to pass through the road, especially on foot.

A resident, Mr. Felix Dagogo, said, though the hospital management had fumigated the hospital, he dared not pass through the area.

“I was told that one could contract the virus by passing through that hospital where the doctor died. I now pass through King Perekume Road or any other area,” he said.

At the popular Mile 1 Market in Diobu, residents were found in groups discussing the EVD outbreak in the state.

Some residents of Port Harcourt decided to stay indoors, while those who went out for business avoided bodily contact to prevent getting infected with Ebola, SUNDAY PUNCH learnt.

A resident of the state capital, who simply identified herself as Favour, told one of our correspondents on Friday that she had refused to leave her house for fear that she might contract the disease.

She said her decision to stay at home was reinforced when she witnessed a woman paid for two seats in a taxi to avoid any bodily contact with anyone on Thursday.

“People are afraid. I am not going to work today (Friday) because I am afraid. Yesterday, a lady paid for two seats in a taxi. Again, at some bus stops, passengers, who in the past would rush into any bus, are now very careful.

“They (passengers) are very cautious now. Every passenger does not want to get close to the next person or have bodily contact with any person at the bus stop,” Favour said.

A bus driver, who identified himself as Mark, said some of his colleagues now allowed only one passenger in the front seat, as opposed to two, before the Ebola outbreak.

Mark said while he was not afraid of the Ebola pandemic, he was being watchful to avoid any “unnecessary” bodily contact.

He said, “I have not gone out today but the truth is that I am not afraid of Ebola. Some of us (commercial bus drivers) are taking only one passenger at the front seat because of the fear of Ebola.”

Another bus driver, simply identified as Zerendu, said he was planning to leave Port Harcourt for fear of contracting the deadly disease.

According to him, he will begin to ply the Abia-Akwa Ibom route to make ends meet.