Tony Osauzo, Benin
Governor Godwin Obaseki, yesterday, extended the dusk-to dawn curfew imposed on the state on April 19 from 8pm to 6am for the next 14 days.
He explained that since his last public update, the state has made tremendous progress in the area of screening, testing and improved awareness of the people of the state about the virus.
He said the state working closely with public and private hospitals, has screened about 20,000 people and tested 297 citizens, adding that the increased screening and testing is the reason for the increased number of cases in the state.
“We are aggressively pushing to screen our minimum target of about 500,000 people and test about one percent of them which is about 5,000 in the next few weeks.
“As we increase testing, we are likely to see an astronomic rise in the number of cases in the state. Of 20,000 people we have screened and the 297 sample taken, we have recorded 37 confirmed cases as at today, discharged eight and lost three people”, Obaseki said.
Meanwhile, the governor has declared One Mrs. Amaka Okoro, who tested positive for COVID-19, wanted for treatment.
He said she is a nursing mother, who has a baby that is already coughing.
“She lives at 2 Atoe Idubor Str, off 2nd Ugbor, Benin City. She has been unreachable since her results returned positive”, Obaseki said.
He appreciated health workers in the state and disclosed that government has approved the payment of hazard allowances ranging from N90,000 to 300,000 for them, depending on their cadre.