*Says 425 samples have been taken for test
*Secure life insurance for 2,557 health workers
*Begins active case check-in six LGs
DELTA State Government, has raised alarm over illegal entry of suspected migrants from the Northern part of Nigeria despite the interstate lockdown order of the Federal Government, aimed at containing the spread of the dreaded coronavirus pandemic in the country.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Mordi Ononye, who raised the alarm in Asaba at a media briefing by the Technical Committee on Covid-19 Response in the State, however said state government had intensified sensitization of the Hausa communities in the state on the dangers being posed by the illegal immigrants.
Ononye disclosed that the state has so far collected a total of 425 samples for testing for COVID -19, saying that out of 386 samples cases tested, 27 cases were positive in the state as at today.
He said the Government has also taken life insurance for 2,557 front line health workers in the fight against Coronavirus (COVID -19) pandemic in the state, explaining that the State Government was paying health workers’ allowances promptly so as to encourage the health workers in the fight against the spread of the disease.
Maintaining that health workers; doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory scientists, cleaners among others, have been trained to man the treatment and holding centers, he said the training of health workers was continuous to ensure that their skills were updated to meet the requirements of their jobs.
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Ononye said: “We have continued to ensure welfare of health workers, providing needed protective equipment.
We are engaging with them and their union to ensure that appropriate allowances are paid.
“The state government has also taken life insurance for 2,557 health workers to motivate them and I commend them for their selfless efforts so far and urge them to do more for Deltans.
“On April 7, 2020, Delta state recorded the first confirmed case of COVID -19; The index case was a male aged 50. Till date 27 positive cases have been confirmed and the distributions of confirmed cases are; Ethiope West, Ika South, Isoko South and Oshimili North has one case each.
“Oshimili South has two cases, Udu has four cases, Ughelli South has two, Uvwie has five while Warri South has10 cases”, adding that all the positive cases were distributed to the isolation centres in the State.
He explained that Asaba Specialists Hospital, six cases; Federal Medical Centre, five cases; Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara, six cases and Central Hospital, Warri, 10 cases.
Speaking further, he held that the the state has so far recorded five deaths, discharged 12 and 10 active cases, lamenting that those who died in the state from COVID -19 had other underlining disease, which he named to include; Asthma, kidney, heart disease among others.
While urging those with underlying ailments to be very careful and observe all the rules, Ononye, appealed to Deltans to observe all the stringent rules.
“In view of the fact that there is evidence of community transmission, we have begun active case search in six LGAs – Uvwie, Udu, Warri South, Ughelli South, Okpe, Oshimili South and Oshimili North – with particular emphasis on 19 wards from which we have had our cases,” Ononye said.
He said there might be no need for another lockdown if the people could adhere to the rules aimed at stemming the spread of COVID -19 pandemic in the State.
The State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, who also spoke, urged the people to take personal responsibility to curb the spread of Coronavirus disease, adding that the people
have the responsibility to enforce the rules by insisting that those around them abide by all the laid down rules.
Aniagwu said: “The facemask is about us and not for the law enforcement agents. Today the medical personnel are the front line soldiers and they have the personal protective equipment to attend to those in isolation center and those who come down with the disease.
“We expect people with symptoms to report on time for the medical experts to test them and if they are positive, they will be treated and if not they will be discharged for testing negative for COVID -19 is not a death sentence”.
Meanwhile, he has confirmed two new cases in Warri South local government area of the State, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the State to 27.
