5th April, 2020
Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State has announced that the state has discharged its first patient of COVID-19 in the state from the hospital after testing negative twice.
“It gives me great pleasure to announce that we are discharging one of our earliest cases from one of our facilities here in Osogbo, after testing negative twice in line with the prescribed protocol of the NCDC.
The Governor, while addressing journalists on Sunday evening at the Government House in Osogbo also sought for a total lockdown of the country for a month to save the country from the ravaging of disease.
According to the governor, total lockdown is the best option to save Nigeria from going the way of Italy, USA, Spain and Iran who were severely hit by the deadly disease.
Oyetola said the two weeks lockdown is not only in the interest of the masses but the entire country, stressing the need for the Federal Government to extend it to all the states of the federation.
“If I have my way, I would suggest that the Federal Government shuts the entire country for a month to avoid Nigeria plunging into situations like those of US and many other European countries battling seriously to save their citizens.
“This not a child’s play, the lockdown is not for the interest of government officials but for the teeming populace to stay healthy and safe. Chinese government locked down the country for a month before it could defeat the deadly virus.”, he said.
The Governor added that the index case in the state was released from the hospital after testing negative to the virus twice as directed by the National Centre for Disease Control.
He added that the second case would also be reunited with his family soon. While pleading for the federal government intervention in caring for the patient of the deadly diseases, Governor Oyetola said the result of some of the patient revealed high virile load which indicated high infectivity if the necessary measures are not taken.
He also assured the residents not to panic as there was no community spread of the virus, saying those infected were from a controlled group isolated from the community.
His words, “Considering our peculiar circumstance, there is the urgent need for the Federal Government to assist us in our efforts to contain the spread of the virus. Our call is predicated on the fact that some of the samples that were tested indicated high level of viral loads, suggesting a strong capability to infect massively if necessary measures are not taken.
“To our people in Osun, rest assured that what we have is not a case of community transmission, but of infection within a controlled group; one which we are actively and effectively addressing”.
“The ones who had earlier escaped from the facility never had contact with their relatives because those ones (relatives) shut the doors against them because of the level of enlightenment and that was why they returned to the facility”.
According to the governor, “the 109 whose results came back negative have been released to join their families. Among them are: 11 to Oyo State, two are going to Lagos State, One to Ogun State, three each to Edo and Abia states, four to Delta State and one to Imo State while 85 will remain here in Osun.
“They have been advised to observe all the prescribed safety and preventive measures and to call our helplines if they start to feel unwell”, he said.