BENIN CITY – The Edo State Government has reiterated the need for residents to adhere to preventive measures such as the use of face masks, hand washing and physical distancing to protect themselves and others from being infected with coronavirus (COVID-19), as the death toll from the deadly disease reaches 35, with nearly 1,000 persons infected in the state.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Patrick Okundia, who spoke to journalists in Benin-city, charged citizens to support the government’s efforts at curbing the spread of coronavirus and protecting the people by complying with the guidelines to contain the pandemic.
According to him, “Complying with these directives will imply that we care about the wellbeing of others, especially the elderly, and are determined to protect them from getting infected by the deadly virus that has continued to claim thousands of lives globally.”
The commissioner added: “The Edo State Government has taken serious steps to contain the pandemic across all communities in the state, but we have observed poor compliance among members of the public towards COVID-19 preventive measures. This is even as some give out wrong addresses and phone numbers during sample collection, which makes it difficult for contact tracers to track down confirmed cases after laboratory results are released.
“The government urges all residents to stay at home and observe all precautionary measures against the spread of the infectious disease, including regular handwashing with soap under running water and the use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers. Cover your mouth and nose properly when sneezing and/or coughing.
“Two toll-free lines for COVID-19 response have been introduced by the state government to strengthen the initial lines from the State Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) distributed at the outset of the outbreak. If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, please call 08001235111 or 08002200110 for assistance.”
Okundia noted that Edo State has so far recorded 962 confirmed cases, 5,838 suspected cases, 2,577 line-listed contacts, 347 persons of interest (POIs) and 35 COVID-19-related deaths, while 277 patients have been discharged.
