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Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, has attributed the recent spike in the number of positive cases of the COVID-19 in the state to the expansion of testing capacity, which according to him was standing at 450 per day.
He also disclosed that the continued flouting of the measures put in place to flatten the curve of the spread by some residents of the state, has also contributed to the number of cases in the last one week.
Abiodun, who made these known on Friday night, while briefing journalists at his Oke-Mosan Office, on the activities of his administration to curb the spread of the pandemic in Ogun, expressed his worries that in spite of several warnings and the concerted efforts of security agencies, some residents still come out in the public without the use of facemasks or use the facemasks in a manner that do not shield their mouths and noses.
He noted further that “motorcycles and tricycles riders still carry more than the approved number of passengers of one and two respectively; and drivers of taxi cab and passenger buses are also culpable in this flagrant violations of the extant guidelines. Our markets have also not fully compiled with physical distancing and other measures to ensure the markets do not become the COVID-19 transmission centers”.
The governor explained that the aggressive testing, especially in the communities with possible high prevalence of infection such as the border communities, has presented the government with the stark reality that community transmission was on the increase in both rural and urban communities in the state.
While declaring that his administration would keep expanding testing capacity by deploying more personnel and testing centers to every nook and cranny of Ogun, Abiodun, however, announced the extension of the current lockdown by till May 24.
He said the decision had become imperative in the face of the evidence of community transmission and poor compliance with the lockdown measures, noting the relaxation windows from 7.00am to 5.00pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday would continue.
The governor added that his government would continue to monitor the level of compliance with the lockdown measures and incidence of community, emphasising that the transmission daily curfew from 8p.m to 6a.m and the ban on non-essential inter-state travel as directed by Mr. President still subsisted.
Giving the update on the pandemic in the state, the governor said that “in my last week briefing, the number of confirmed cases in Ogun State was 100. But, by yesterday, Thursday 14th May, 2020, we have recorded 34 more positive cases of COVID- 19, bringing the total to 134. This shows an increase of more than 30%, in just one week.
“In the same period, we also discharged 20 additional patients who have been successfully treated at our isolation centers, in addition to the 39 earlier discharged thus bringing the total to 59, who have been given a clean bill of health and have since rejoined their respective families. The rate of recovery is very heartwarming and encouraging and we pray that this pattern continues.
“Unfortunately, we have recorded 5 deaths in total. We pray God to repose their souls. This leaves us with 70 active cases who are currently receiving care at our treatment centers. As usual, we hope and pray that they will also be discharged in due course”.
The governor, however, disclosed that 108 violators of the lockdown and other measures have been apprehended and prosecuted so far, while 517 vehicles, 109 motorcycles and 6 tricycles were impounded for breaching the presidential directive on curfew within the same period.
“The violators were promptly tried by the newly introduced mobile courts, with some of them made to pay fine whilst some are undergoing community service. In addition, security agencies also intercepted migrants from other states, who defied the ban on interstate travels, and promptly turned them back at our borders with other states”, Abiodun submitted.
