The Oyo State governor, Mr Seyi Makinde early hours today announced that the COVID-19 confirmation test for the suspected case at Bodija has come back positive.
In a tweet on Sunday, the governor said the result was released at 17:35 PM of March 21, 2020.
1) The COVID-19 confirmation test for the suspected case at Bodija has come back POSITIVE. The result was released at 17:35 PM of March 21, 2020. Oyo State Public Health Officials are collaborating with the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan’s team on the case.
— Seyi Makinde (@seyiamakinde) March 21, 2020
According to him, Oyo State Public Health Officials are collaborating with the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan’s team on the case.
He said: “A follow up on the Ekiti COVID-19 case revealed that the deceased was picked up directly from Lagos Airport to a private apartment in Ona Ara Local Government Area.
“The Health Authorities have contacted the family concerned and the community has been alerted for intensified contact tracing and self-isolation of identified close contacts.
“The information given that he stayed in some hotels in Ibadan has been found to be false.
“Another returnee from Texas, USA, has also been identified at Oluyole Local Government Area. She has been kept in self-isolation with close monitoring by the State Epidemiological Team.
“All recent returnees are again urged to identify themselves to Ministry Officials and self-isolate for 14 days.”
He said the state has released funds for: a. activation of emergency Operation Centre at the Ministry of Health.
b. establishment of Diagnostic Centre for screening of Coronavirus and other related infectious diseases to be stationed at the UCH, Ibadan.
c. equipping of the newly designated Oyo State Infectious Disease Centre at Olodo that has the capacity for over 100 cases.”
He also gave the state’ Ministry of Health Helplines as 08038210122/ 08023229267/ 08073431342.
Meanwhile, the International Press Centre (IPC) has called on media proprietors (both private and government) to provide journalists covering the Covid-19 health crisis in Nigeria with necessary protective gadgets and medications where required.
The Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade made the call in a statement the centre’s Communication Officer, Olutoyin Ayoade issued yesterday.
The state said journalists “are among professionals who are always on duty during crisis situations as we currently have and their safety should therefore be accorded very high priority.
“From provision with protective wears and adequate supply of basics such as hand sanitizers, nothing can be too much to do for journalists on the field at this moment”, the statement said.
According to the , journalists covering COVID-19 also deserve to be placed on a special insurance package.
The IPC Director also advised journalists to avail themselves of all the health tips on avoiding Covid-19 infection especially as outlined by global health bodies and national health institutions.
“Journalists should apply necessary caution so as not to expose themselves to avoidable health risk in the understandable urge to cover breaking stories on the pandemic”, he stressed.
The statement charged journalists and other media professionals to exercise professional restraint and ensure that all supposed breaking stories on COVID-19 are fact-checked to mitigate the spread of false or misleading information.
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