Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Exactly one week after recording its second case, Benue State has recorded a third COVID-19 case in the person of Mrs Rebecca Apedzan, a third republic House of Representatives member and former commissioner in the state.
Announcing the news to reporters at the Government House on Monday, the state governor, Samuel Ortom, who noted that it was not yet clear how Apedzan caught the virus, disclosed that she was in a meeting with him yesterday.
“We were in a meeting together yesterday although we maintained social distancing. However, even though I had done the test in the past which returned negative, I will have to go for another test again,” he said.
The governor urged all those who had been in contact with her in the last 14 days to come out and get themselves tested, saying both the test and treatment for COVID-19 is free.
While noting that COVID-19 is real, the governor said it is not a death sentence as hundreds of people who got infected have been treated and discharged in many states of the federation.
He encouraged all Benue people to stay indoors, stressing that if they must come out, they should wear a face mask and follow all other laid down protocols.
Governor Ortom added that the ban on church and mosque meetings will be reviewed and may be lifted in the next two weeks after which it would be reviewed again, even as he urged church and mosque leaders to continue to offer prayers privately.
On his part, the Chairman of the Benue State COVID-19 Action Committee and Deputy Governor, Engr Benson Abounu, disclosed that the suspected COVID-19 case in Otukpo was actually a young man from Akpa land who was working as a security man for a family in Ogun.
According to Abounu, when the man started feeling unwell at his duty post in Ogun he went and submitted his sample for testing.
“The young man said after 24 hours, he went back for the result but was told it would be ready in 48 hours. When he returned home, his master ejected him from the house and since he didn’t have anywhere to go, he called his mother to inform her what had happened and that he was on his way back home.
“The information got to the COVID-19 Committee and surveillance was mounted for the vehicle bringing him at Otukpo-Enugu roundabouts. The vehicle arrived around 4 pm and all 15 passengers including the driver of the vehicle were taken into isolation.
“I ordered that 14 passengers be taken into isolation while the young man is going to be quarantined in Otukpo. The young man said he was still feeling sick but samples of all the passengers and the driver had been taken and have been taken to Abuja and result would be expected any moment from now,” Abounu stated.