The State Government has cleared and exited 917 suspected coronavirus (COVID-19) cases across the state’s 18 Local Government areas (LGAs), who have completed the compulsory 14-day follow up and tested negative.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Patrick Okundia, who disclosed this to journalists in Benin City, said the cleared cases comprise 338 Persons of Interests (POI) and 579 others that had various degrees of contacts with confirmed cases.
Okundia said Edo has so far recorded 95 confirmed cases, 885 suspected cases, 5 deaths and 35 discharges, noting that the state’s improved efforts at screening and testing were responsible for the rising number of confirmed cases.
According to him, the state has tested over 917 residents, screened over 126, 000 persons and is currently contact tracing over 830 others across the 192 wards of Edo.
The commissioner, however, reassured that the remaining 55 cases that are yet to be discharged are on active treatment at various isolation centres in the state and are responding well to treatment.
The commissioner, who identified screening and testing as essential in the government’s efforts at containing the pandemic, noted, “The Edo State Government encourages all residents with symptoms of the disease to come out for screening, testing and treatment as early detection is key to containing the virus. When detected early, a patient’s chance for survival increases.
“We urge you to comply with all government directives, aimed at ensuring the health and safety of all Edo people. While the government ramps up efforts to win the war against this common enemy, it is imperative that residents stay at home and observe social distancing guidelines and other precautionary measures against the spread of the disease, including regular handwashing with soap under running water and the use alcohol-based hand sanitisers. Cover your mouth and nose properly when sneezing and/or coughing. Also do well to report anyone with oversea travel history.”
