…govt insists on prompt detection to curb spread
Edo State Government has announced the discharge of the seventh coronavirus (COVID-19) patient, who has tested negative twice for the virus and cleared from one of the state’s isolation centres.
The State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who disclosed this in a statement on Monday, said the seventh discharged patient is the index case in the state, noting that with the development, Edo has now recorded 50 percent recovery rate for admitted patients being managed in facilities across the state.
He said, “Good people of Edo, another COVID-19 patient, who is the index case in Edo State, has tested negative for the second time consecutively. He has now been discharged to reunite with his family.
“This brings to seven the number of patients successfully managed and discharged from our isolation facilities. We have now recorded 50 percent recovery rate for patients being managed in our facilities.”
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Patrick Okundia, in a chat with journalists, urged residents to support the government’s efforts at containing the virus by making themselves available for the ongoing massive screening across the state, noting that prompt detection was germane in the fight against the spread of the infectious disease.
He said, “Screening facilities (questionnaire-based) have been set up in six Primary Health Care (PHC) centres and four private health facilities in Oredo Local Government Area (LGA), scale-up across the 18 LGAs of Edo State is being worked out. The Government encourages everyone with symptoms of the disease to come out for screening, testing and treatment as early detection complements efforts at containing the virus and increases the chances of survival.
“All citizens of Edo State are hereby encouraged to abide strictly with government’s directives on social distancing, use of facemask in public, regular hand washing with soap under running water or using alcohol-based sanitisers, cough etiquette and compliance with the stay-at-home order.”
“Two toll-free lines for COVID-19 response have been introduced by Edo State Government to strengthen the initial lines from the State Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) distributed at the beginning of the outbreak. If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, please call 08001235111 or 08002200110 for assistance,” Okundia added.
