Clement Adeyi, Osogbo

Osun Government has sent 30 samples  from the contact tracing it embarked upon at the weekend for test.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Rafiu Isamotu, said the samples had been sent to the Nigeria Centre for Diseases Control (NCDC) accredited testing centre, the African Centre of Excellence in Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Ede, Osun State.

He  said contact tracing was carried out in Ejigbo, Osu, Ife East, Ilesa and Ede areas of the state.

While  explaining the rationale behind contact tracing in the areas, Isamotu explained that the wife of a confirmed case in Ife reportedly travelled to Osu after leaving Ife, before returning to Ilesa.

He added that all the 24 contacts were  located by the COVID-19 taskforce committee.

The commissioner disclosed that the 14 suspected cases that were subjected to test on Sunday tested negative while the three health workers, who initially tested positive for the virus, have  tested negative once.

Meanwhile, the Food and Relief Committee constituted by the Osun State Governor Adegboyega  Oyetola to ameliorate the effects of lockdown has commenced distribution of food and relief materials to  vulnerable people across the state. Secretary of the 21-man committee,  Chief Adebayo Jimoh, said the distribution would be done in accordance with the World Bank-approved social investment registers to ensure that the stimulus package gets to the needy.

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He maintained that the committee would ensure equity, transparency and accountability in the discharge of its responsibilities

Jimoh added that the palliatives would be distributed across socio-economic, political and religious divides.

He disclosed that the distribution would commence delivery through the Christian leaders, Muslims leaders, civil society organisers and focal staff iamong others.  each of the local governments areas.

He also disclosed that the committee had expended over N150 million for the procurement of the food stuffs, noting that only the  identified vulnerable and indigent citizens captured in the social investment register of the state would benefit from the gestures.

He added that the distribution would be done in tranches as soon as the resources came in.

Jimoh said that the exercise would be monitored and supervised from the take-off venue to the doorsteps of the beneficiaries as part of efforts to ensure credibility and accountability.