COVID-19: 75 persons in isolation in Kwara – AbdulRasaq

Kwara state Hovernor, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, has confirmed that no fewer than 75 persons suspected to have had contacts with COVID-19 patients in the state are already in isolation for medical observation about their health status.

Gov AbdulRahman made this known while addressing ournalists at the Government House in ilorin, the state capital on situation reports about the pandemic outbreak in the state on Monday.

The governor said the state government received the official report from the NCDC of samples earlier taken to the Ibadan test centre, in which the test of two persons was confirmed as having COVID-19.

“The first is the wife of a man who recently returned from the UK and the 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 revealed.

He said that the state is not helpless or without reasonable preparation about the outbreak of the pandemic.

“We urge Kwarans to avoid crowded spaces, 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.

“Notwithstanding our preparation, we are not ashamed 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 said.

While reacting to the late Muideen Obanimomo case at UITH, who was vsuspected to have died of COVID-19, Gov. AbdulRahman said: “The government is utterly disappointed at the breach of trust that played out in the UITH case.

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“Without prejudice to the internal investigation by UITH, we demand the immediate suspension of Prof. Alakija Kazeem Salami and every other official of UITH whose professional misconduct brought us down this path pending the outcome of the ongoing probe.”

On the compliance of residents on stay- at- home order, Gov. AbdulRahman said the state technical committee of COVID-19 pandemic would before the end of the day roll-out more measures to ensure people complied with the directive.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Raji Rasaq also made it known at the press briefing that tracing of contacts is still ongoing both in Offa and Ilorin, and said the team would keep briefing the general populace as event unfold.