Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State on Sunday recorded additional five COVID-19 cases, bringing
the total number of persons that have so far tested positive to the coronavirus to seven with one person discharged.
Disclosing this to journalists at the governor’s lodge in Aba, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu said despite the number of people that have tested positive to the COVID-19 pandemic in the state, residents should not panic as government has enough facilities that would take care of coronavirus patients in Abia.
According to Ikpeazu, “Yesterday (Sunday) evening, the result of some
samples we sent for testing returned with five persons testing positive to the coronavirus, bringing the total number to seven.
“However, of the two earlier cases, one has been discharged and result
of the test carried out on the second patient returned negative, but could not make it the second time. She is still being managed and we are hoping she would soon be okay and discharged”.
Ikpeazu disclosed that of the latest five index cases, three were returnees from Lagos, while the remaining two were axiomatic cases who had no previous records of travelling out of the country or coming in contact with persons who had travelled abroad.
The governor said the five new index cases are from Aforugiri and
Ofeme in Umuahia North Local Government and Olokoro in Umuahia South Council area, emphasizing that anybody from the areas mentioned who
had contact with the index cases would be traced and tested.
Ikpeazu, while saying he was not deterred by the results as the state
has centres at Amachara- Umuahia and Aba that will take care of COVID-19 patients, called on people of the state to remain calm as government was equal to the task.
The governor, who disclosed that the state has capacity to take up to 100 to 150 COVID-19 patients at a time if the need arose, however warned that government would not fail to reconsider her decision in relaxing the lockdown.
Ikpeazu warned that going by how the state’s index case jumped from one to six, that if more stringent measures were not put in place to tighten the state borders, the government might be embarrassed with what may come in no distant future.