COVID-19: Edo discharges five more patients

By Isaac Olamikan, Senior Correspondent, Benin

Edo State Government has announced the discharge of five more coronavirus (COVID-19) patients, who have tested negative for the virus and cleared from the state’s isolation centres to return to their families.

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who disclosed this in a statement, commended the resilience and commitment of health workers and other essential workers on the frontlines of the state government’s efforts at containing the pandemic.

The governor, who reiterated the need to protect the state’s aged population, urged residents to comply with all guidelines and safety measures to curtail the spread of the virus in the state.

Obaseki said, “We have discharged five more COVID-19 patients from our isolation facilities, bringing the number of recoveries to 114. We appreciate our frontline workers, who are doing a good job in containing the spread of the virus. Kindly obey safety regulations and protect our aged population”

Ads

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Patrick Okundia, noted that that the state has recorded 28 new confirmed cases, with 17 tested at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) laboratory and 11 confirmed at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) laboratory.

Okundia said Edo has so far recorded a total of 3191 suspected cases, 429 confirmed cases, 24 deaths, and 114 discharges, adding that the state has tested over 3360 residents and is contact tracing 1535 others across the state’s 18 Local Government Areas.

The commissioner, who identified screening and testing as essential in the government’s efforts at containing the pandemic, noted, “The Edo State Government urges all citizens to comply with 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 of 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.”