COVID-19: Osun State Traces Increased Infection To 127 Returnee Indigenes
As 19 Persons Are Confirmed Positive In Osun State
The cause of the increase in the number of infected persons and number of deaths in the spread of Coronavirus Disease in Osun State has been traced to the return of 127 indigenes of the state from Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire.
The State Government and independent sources confirmed the development on Wednesday.
The state was said to have received 127 of its indigenes from Ejigbo in 17 buses as the virus spread to Africa.
They were said to have returned with the State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, putting in place solid arrangements to ensure they were quarantined in the same place, with testing promptly commencing.
Out of an initial 27 tested, three were positive.
As at Tuesday, sources told The Eagle Online, that 14 of them had tested positive.
The State Government on its Twitter handle said: “The State of Osun has recorded an increasing number of confirmed cases in the past few days. This of course isn’t a pleasant development but the good news is that the State is firmly on top of the situation.
“The confirmed cases in the State isn’t a case of community transmission yet, but a situation of transmission within a controlled group. They are returnees from a neighbouring African Country who the State Government proactively received, isolated and tested.”
The Olowu of Kuta, His Royal Highness Oba Adekunle Oyelude Makama, Tegbosun III, also confirmed this development urging President Muhammadu Buhari, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and Corporate Organisations as well as well meaning individuals to assist the Osun State Government to fight the scourge.
The statement, from the Olowu’s Media Office in Kuta on Tuesday, said the time has come for wealthy individuals to lend a helping hand to Osun State in order to save the state.
Oba Makama said: “I want to urge President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently direct the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to assist us here in Osun.
“I also want Corporate Organisations and well wealthy individuals to assist our State to fight this dreaded pandemic.
“There is no way we can cope with the magnitude of the problem at hand now without the support of the Federal Government given the financial status of the state before the pandemic.
“With the additional 14 cases today making a total of 19, we need urgent financial assistance to curtail and prevent further spread of COVID-19 in our state before it’s too late.”