By Valentine Amanze, Online Editor
The Edo State government has appealed to residents to be cautious and observe all precautionary health and safety guidelines against the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
It also disclosed that the death toll from the virus has risen to 21 in the second wave of the pandemic.
State COVID-19 Incident Manager, Dr. Andrew Obi, made the appeal during a meeting of the Edo State COVID-19 Taskforce chaired by Governor Godwin Obaseki.
According to him, “Edo State, within the last 24 hours, recorded 51 new cases and three more COVID-19 related deaths, with 387 active cases currently receiving treatment at various isolation and treatment centres in the state.”
He noted that 29 of the newly confirmed cases were recorded at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) laboratory, while 22 others were reported at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) laboratory.
Obi while urging residents to adhere to guidelines against the spread of the deadly virus to protect the elderly who are most vulnerable to the disease, said the three new deaths recorded in the state are elderly persons above 60 years who died as a result of COVID-19 complications.
The Incident Manager added that two of the deaths were recorded at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH), while the other one was reported at the Stella Obasanjo Hospital, noting that with the new death figures, the state has now recorded a total of 133 deaths since the outbreak of the virus.
He noted: “Edo State has continued to record a steady increase in mortality rate for the virus, with the toll rising to 21 since December 1, 2020 when the state started tracking the second wave of the deadly virus. This is of serious concern to the government because many of these deaths could have been prevented if citizens adhered to COVID-19 prevention regulations.
“As we continue to ramp up efforts to curtail the spread of the virus and protect the majority of Edo people, especially our elderly population, we urge everyone to observe the set guidelines to contain the pandemic.”