Ilorin
No fewer than 75 persons suspected to have had contacts with COVID-19 patients in kwara state have been isolated, for medical observation and to ascertain their health status.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq confirmed the number while addressing journalists at the Government House in Ilorin, on situation reports about the pandemic outbreak in the state
AbdulRahman said the state government received the official report from the NCDC samples earlier taken to the Ibadan test centre in which the test of two persons was confirmed on COVID-19.
The governor said:” The first is the wife of a man who recently returned from UK, and second person is a diabetic patient who also had a travel history to the UK.
“Our job is cut out for us and we are definitely not dropping the ball.
“Contact tracing by the Rapid Response Team of the medical advisory committee has so far netted 75 persons who have had contacts with the cases and the suspected case at UITH.”
He said that the state was not helpless or without reasonable preparation about the outbreak of the pandemic.
“We urge Kwarans to avoid crowded space, isolate themselves, and call our helplines if they have just returned from places of interest in the last three weeks.
“The government is extending the ongoing fumigation exercise to all the places of interest, including the relevant locations in Offa and Ilorin where contamination may have occurred as a result of how infectious the disease is.”
The governor said notwithstanding the state government’s preparation,” we are not ashame to say that Kwara State will be glad to get all the help it can receive at this moment. We commend everyone who has been doing so much in this regard and we call for more,” he added.
Reacting to the late Muideen Obanimomo’s case at UITH, suspected to have died of COVID-19, AbdulRahman said, “The government is utterly disappointed at the breach of trust that played out in the UITH case.
“Without prejudice to the internal investigation by UITH, we demand immediate suspension of Professor Alakija Kazeem Salami and every other official of UITH whose professional misconducts brought us down this path, pending the outcome of the ongoing probe.
On the compliance of residents on stay at home order, AbdulRahman said the state technical committee of COVID-19 pandemic would, before the end of the day, rollout more measures to ensure people comply with the directive.
Contributing, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Raji Rasaq disclosed that tracing of contacts was ongoing in Offa and Ilorin, adding that the team would keep briefing the general populace as event unfolds.
