Obaseki in self -isolation over COVID-19 infection as speaker tests positive
Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state has reportedly gone into self -isolation over the suspicion of being infected with the dreaded coronavirus, the state Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu announced in Benin City yesterday.
The deputy governor also disclosed that the index case of the COVID-19 reported on Monday in the state, is the Speaker of Edo state House of Assembly, Mr. Frank Okiye, who travelled to the United Kingdom, came back and went straight into self -isolation at the Irrua Specialist Hospital, Irrua in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo state.
“He sent his blood sample for testing and the test came back positive. He is in a stable condition and his family members have been tested and the tests came back negative,” Shaibu stated.
He noted that the two persons the speaker got in close contact with were his wife and daughter whose samples have been taken and the result came out negative.
According to Shaibu, Gov. Obaseki went into self- isolation following his close contact with the Bauchi state Governor, Bala Mohammed and the Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mallam Abba Kyari, who have both tested positive.
He said that “on his own, the governor avoided meeting with everybody when he arrived Benin from Abuja and has maintained social distance before going into self- isolation.”
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Meanwhile, Shaibu said 101 persons were being tracked by the state government, adding the 64 have been gotten in touch with of which six has been isolated and five samples taken.
The deputy governor urged residents of the state to embrace measures to curtail the spread of the disease and listed measures taken by the state government to include the procurement of 40 drums of hand sanitizers to be distributed to all local government areas, palaces and other public places.
Besides, he said the state government is enforcing and discouraging any gathering of more than 20 persons and appealed to citizens of the state to adhere to the directive.
Also, he reiterated that markets in the state will remain closed except for traders selling essential commodities such as food items and medicine, adding that the state COVID-19 response committee would continue to meet on daily basis to review situations as they arise.
