By Goke Gbadamosi and Femi Onsanya,
The Ogun State Government has called on residents and stakeholders to strictly adhere to the non-pharmaceutical guidelines to prevent the spread of the virulent Delta Variant of COVID-19, which has been confirmed in some parts of the country.
The call was made in a statement by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, who stated that the World Health Organisation (WHO) recognised the Delta strain as a variant of concern given its increased transmissibility and spread to over 90 countries.
Coker noted that Nigeria has witnessed a steady increase in the number of COVID-19 positive cases in the past weeks, adding that the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) recorded over 120 cases in the past 48 hours nationally, compared to less than 50 being recorded weeks ago.
She said more than 60 percent of the new cases are from neighbouring States such as Lagos, saying the ripple effect is already being felt in Ogun State with 15 new cases recorded in the past two weeks compared to two cases in the whole of June, 2021.
“Ogun State has experienced a gradual rise in cases with 15 new cases in the last two weeks compared to two cases in the whole month of June 2021, while four persons are currently being managed in the isolation centre that has been empty in the last one month. Also we have recorded two new deaths in the last three weeks.
Given that our many lands cross one another, and the fact that eight of our Local Government Areas (LGAs) share border with Lagos State with a major international airport and the highly mobile community between them, it becomes pertinent to proactively curtail the spread of COVID-19 virus among our people”, she noted.
The Commissioner said the State Government had re-energised its response to the spread of the virus with risk communication deployed at the community level through the LGA Rapid Response Team, adding that the State is working with the Federal Port Health Authority to ensure that passengers are screened at the land crossings in the State.
“In our health facilities, Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC) focal persons have been alerted to step up IPC measures, while we have deployed rapid test kits to major secondary and tertiary health facilities to test patients who are to undergo surgeries, patients with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 and persons who want to know their status”, she added.
Coker revealed that the State had started embarking on mobilization for test at the five-high burdened LGAs including Abeokuta South, Ado-Odo/Ota, Ikenne, Obafemi Owode and Sagamu, enjoining stakeholders such as community and religious leaders, media houses and the general public, to join hands with the State Government to encourage strict compliance with proper hand washing, regular and correct use of face mask, two meters physical distancing in public places and avoidance of crowded gatherings.
