Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Enugu State government has confirmed four new COVID-19 cases in the state, making it the state with highest number of cases in the South East.
The new cases which were announced by the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Obi Ikechukwu, on Saturday brought the number of COVID-19 cases in the state to eight.
Recall that two patients, a couple who had returned from the United Kingdom, were the first to test positive in the state. They were discharged on the 15th and 16th of April respectively having recovered from the disease.
The third case was however spotted on the 29th of April as a resident who traveled to Plateau started developing symptoms of the virus and subsequently tested positive.
Two days later, a 39-year-old man who lives and works in Lagos but recently returned to Enugu tested positive for COVID-19 after developing symptoms of the disease, bringing the number to four with only two active cases.
In what could however be seen as a huge leap in the number of cases in the state, the health commissioner, in a terse statement on Saturday, announced four new cases of the disease in the state.
According him, “four confirmed COVID-19 cases have emerged in Enugu State. These new cases are two adults and two children who live in Enugu and hail from Bauchi State and travelled to Jos, Plateau State, with the case that was reported as the 3rd positive case in Enugu.
“This brings the status of positive cases ever reported in Enugu to 8 with 6 active cases. Please Continue to observe the safety measures,” he advised.
Meanwhile, residents have continued to call on the state governor, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to ensure that all entry points into the state are properly shut as all cases so far recorded in the state were imported from other states.
One of the residents, Mrs Anita Chinyere, said it was regrettable that all efforts of government at curbing the spread of COVID-19 into the state were let down by those manning the state’s land borders.
She however commended the state government for engaging neighborhood watch groups, councilors and community leaders to assist security agencies at the borders, noting that such arrangement could lead to an effective monitoring.