The Edo State Government has announced the discharge of five more coronavirus (COVID-19) patients who have tested negative.
In a statement on Tuesday, Governor Godwin Obaseki confirmed that the recovered persons have been cleared from the state’s isolation centres to return to their families.
He commended the resilience and commitment of health workers and other essential workers on the frontline 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.
He 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.”
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Patrick Okundia, said the state has recorded 28 new confirmed cases.
He explained that 17 people were 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 3,191 suspected cases with 429 confirmed cases, 24 deaths, and 114 discharged.
He added that the state has tested over 3,360 residents and has identified 1,535 others for contact tracing across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.
The commissioner, who identified screening and testing as essential in the government’s efforts at containing the pandemic, stated, “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 overseas travel history.”
