BENIN CITY – As part of measures to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and safeguard the wellbeing of Edo people, the state government has intensified Active Case Search (ACS) activities in Edo, testing over 9626 residents and decontaminating homes and offices of about 2167 confirmed cases in the state.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Patrick Okundia, who disclosed this to journalists in Benin City, noted that there is still poor compliance with precautionary measures against the spread of the disease including the compulsory use of face mask and social distancing.
He added that compliance to all safety and health measures to contain the virus was imperative as it would complement the government’s efforts at protecting the people, especially the state’s aged population, who account for most fatalities recorded in the state.
According to Okundia, “Edo State has so far recorded 2167 confirmed cases, 9950 suspected cases, 4941 line-listed contacts, 349 persons of interest (POIs) and 77 COVID-19-related deaths, while 1409 patients have been discharged”.
The commissioner explained: “The Edo State Government has taken serious steps to contain the pandemic across all communities in Edo, 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.
“We urge 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 Edo State Government to strengthen the initial lines from the State Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) distributed at the onset of the outbreak. If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, please call 08001235111 or 08002200110 for assistance.”
