Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Two among the 33 active cases being managed for COVID-19 in an isolation centre in the Oyo State have absconded.
Governor Seyi Makinde made the confirmation yesterday, in an update on the management of coronavirus pandemic by the Oyo State COVID-19 task force, which he posted on his Twitter. But he did not give details of the absconded cases and the isolation centre where the incident took place.
The confirmation has, however, laid to rest a report that was circulated on social media on Tuesday that four persons absconded from the isolation centre.
“Of the 33 active cases being managed by the state, two have absconded, possibly to their permanent places of residence. This brings the number of active cases in Oyo State to 31.
“Ten cases are self-isolating, while 21 cases are being managed in the isolation centres in Oyo State; one at the University College Hospital, Ibadan and 20 in Olodo. Nineteen of these 20 cases at Olodo are asymptomatic and the last person has anosmia (loss of smell),” he said.
Makinde said 975 samples have so far been collected and are being processed.
The governor, who is the chairman of the task force, said the state received more results from pending COVID-19 confirmation tests, adding that the result of one suspected case came back positive on May 3 and the person is based in Ibadan.
“The results of five suspected cases came back positive on May 5. Four of these five cases are travellers from the northern part of Nigeria and the last one is an Oyo State resident.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control had announced five new cases of COVID-19 in Oyo State while the total number in the state as at Tuesday stood at 38.