The Oyo State government is set to decontaminate (fumigate) markets spread across the state,as part of measures to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
Acting Chairman of the Oyo State COVID-19 Task Force, Temitope Alonge, a Professor, stated that the decontamination would be carried out using experts from the University of Ibadan, while the exact date of the exercise would be communicated through the heads of markets.
A statement on behalf the State governor, Seyi Makinde by Alonge in Ibadan on Saturday said the diagnostic centre located inside the University College Hospital had commenced full and timely testing of samples. He said the centre is committed to a turnaround time of less than 24 hours to provide results for samples taken.
“His Excellency is pleased at the progress that has been made at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Olodo, Ibadan with the training of key personnel and the readiness of the centre to receive patients starting from Monday the April 6,” he said.
Alonge said the state had recorded another positive case of Covid-19, bringing to nine the total of positive cases in Oyo.
He confirmed that the latest case is a close contact of the second confirmed case who subsequently developed symptoms.
The statement indicated that the patient has been moved to one of the isolation centres in the state, while activities at the Emergency Operations Centre, (EOC) are being ramped up and reviewed to meet the evolving nature of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“With the index case in the state already discharged, the other seven cases remain stable,” Alonge said.
Alonge who issued the statement shortly after the regular review meeting of the Task Force, also stated that the state government had received donations amounting to N125 million in cash and some other kind donations.
“The Task Force was also briefed about the School-on-Air programme designed to fill the gap for students in SS3, which is being supported by Telecommunications giant, Airtel with a donation of 500mb of data to each participating student.
“The Commissioner for Education, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, who briefed the Task Force, said that the programme being run on the radio and television channels of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), was already reaching between 60 and 70 percent of the student population.
“The Task Force was further alerted to the decision of Governor Seyi Makinde to roll out palliatives to residents of the state within a short while and that the Ministry of Special Duties and Women Affairs and Social Inclusion were working out the modalities for the distribution of the palliatives in a way that would ensure the people who are really in need are directly reached.”
