Coronavirus: Oyo shuts schools, declares suspected case negative
By Marufh Bello
The Oyo State Government has ordered the immediate closure of schools in the state as it has been confirmed that the only suspected case of Covid-19 in the state was negative after receiving the result of the test on the suspect.
In a press briefing by the Oyo Task Force on Coronavirus, Governor Seyi Makinde stated, “We received the result of the suspected case which our Commissioner for Health, Dr B. V. A. Bello, discussed in his press conference on Thursday, March 19, 2020. The result is negative for Coronavirus. So, we currently don’t have any confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Oyo State.”
Governor Makinde announced this in the press briefing conducted Friday in Ibadan after the meeting of the Oyo Covid-19 Task Force headed by the governor himself.
However, as at the time of filing this report, there was an unconfirmed information that an Ibadan popular broadcaster, Edmund Obilo, had been quarantined at the University College Hospital (UCH) for symtoms similar to Coronavirus’.
As promised by Governor Makinde in an emergency address on Covid-19 on Thursday, to brief the residents about the measures to put in place to contain the disease, the governor listed among others that, “emergency operation and diagnostic centres be set up within 72 hours, and schools be closed immediately until after Easter.”
The governor further itemised that a maternal and health centre at Olodo had now been re-designated as the state infectious disease hospital; two ambulances for coronavirus cases would be provided; the disease surveillance and notifications system in the 33 LGAs and 35 LCDAs created earlier would be activated, while the Free Health Mission and the ongoing employee verification in the state remained suspended.
Governor Makinde, however, promised that enlightenment campaigns would be increased, wash centres would be provided in markets and public places as personal protective gears would be provided for our health workers through emergency purchases.
Going memory lane, Governor Makinde stated that the state government had been proactive before the situation became more worrisome, saying that “This Task Force became necessary because of the heightened threat that has come to light in the past two days.
“These developments include an increase in confirmed cases of coronavirus in Nigeria since March 18, 2020. This necessitated something more regarding the state’s response.
“Before now, the Ministry of Health had already put measures in place to prevent an outbreak of coronavirus in the state. Our Commissioner for Health, Dr B. V. A. Bello, held his first press briefing on February 28, 2020, where he outlined the steps being taken by the government.
“On March 10, 2020, he (Dr Bello) held another press briefing after the Oyo State Executive Council (EXCO) meeting and talked about isolation centres, helplines, creation of a rapid response and monitoring department, and disease surveillance and notification offices in the 33 LGAs and 35 LCDAs.
“The Ministry of Health also started running enlightenment campaigns about coronavirus in markets, schools and for people in the hospitality industry, to maintain the hand washing culture and give a safe distance if anyone is sneezing or coughing around them.”
Rounding off, Governor Makinde said, “about the rally (PDP unification rally) that was held here (in Ibadan) a few days ago, I want to state again that if the information we have at our disposal now had come a few hours prior, the rally would not have held.”
