The Edo State government has confirmed that it has started contact tracing of no fewer than 4,327 patients and has cleared and exited 3,769 suspected cases of COVID-19 in the state.
Dr Patrick Okundia, the State Commissioner for Health, who disclosed this to journalists in Benin on Saturday said that Edo has so far recorded 1,593 confirmed cases, 7,187 suspected cases, 57 deaths and 929 discharged persons.
According to him, the cleared cases of COVID-19 comprised 347 Persons of Interests (POI) and 3,422 others that had various degrees of contacts with confirmed cases in the state.
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The commissioner, who identified early testing as essential in the government’s efforts at curtailing the spread of the disease, noted: “The Edo State Government encourages all residents with symptoms of the disease to come out for testing and treatment as early detection is key to containing the virus. When detected early, a patient’s chance for survival increases.
“We urge you to comply with all 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 of mankind, 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 hand-washing with soap under running water and the use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers. Cover your mouth and nose properly when sneezing and/or coughing.
“Two toll-free lines for COVID-19 response have been introduced by Edo State Government to strengthen the initial lines from the State Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) distributed at the outset of the outbreak. If you have any COVID 19 symptoms, please call 08001235111 or 08002200110 for assistance”, Okundia added.
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