The Edo State Government of Nigeria says it has recorded two new cases of coronavirus making a total of 11 confirmed cases in the state.
Commissioner for Health, Dr Patrick Okundia, disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Benin City, the state capital, on Monday, April 6, 2020.
“The fight against coronavirus disease has been on in the state.
“Our people have been told, but the message we are getting is that our people are not taking these messages seriously. This is a serious business.
“As we are receiving new cases every day, the state has been prepared in fighting this disease by providing different isolation centres across the state.
“We have four isolation centres in the state. One is at the Central Hospital Auchi, another one is at Irrua Specialist Hospital, we have one at University of Benin Teaching Hospital and one at Stella Obasanjo Hospital.
“The state has also provided a holding centre at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital where suspected cases of coronavirus who are awaiting results are going to be kept.
“Anybody with symptoms should go straight to Stella Obasanjo Hospital, doctors and nurses have been trained to attend to such people,” he said.
The commissioner further urged the residents to work together with state government in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
Also speaking, the state representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Mrs Faith Ireye, urged residents to maintain the social distance order of the government.
Ireye stressed that social distancing was very key in the fight against Covid-19.
In a related development, the Edo government has directed residents who must leave their homes to wear face masks as precautionary measures against the coronavirus pandemic.
Deputy Governor and Chairman of the state COVID-19 Response Committee, Mr Philip Shaibu, told newsmen that government had concluded plans to collaborate with local tailors to mass produce face mask in the state.
“We have held several meetings with stakeholders today and we agreed that all residents who must leave their homes during the partial lockdown must wear a face mask.
“We are working with local tailors to mass produce these face mask that will go around everybody.
“I want to encourage us to stay at home and if you must go out please wear a face mask and maintain social distance,” he said.
According to him, anyone found outside without a face mask will be prosecuted.
Shaibu also said that government has banned the use of hotels as isolation centres by those who returned to the state from other countries.
He said: “We have discovered that some returnees use hotels as isolation centres and we are saying it is no longer acceptable.
“Those who are even isolating themselves at home do not adhere to the rules, so it is banned with effect from today.
“Only the four designated isolation centres in Auchi general hospital in Edo North, Irrua Specialist hospital in Edo Central, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and Stella Obasanjo hospital in Edo South will be used from now on,” he added.
By Monday Ajogun and Nefishetu Yakubu
