COVID-19: Edo govt commences community screening

The government of Edo State said it had commenced facility and community mobile-based screening for Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Patrick Okundia, who spoke to newsmen in Benin City on Wednesday, said the exercise started in Oredo Local Government Area (LGA).

He explained that the exercise was part of measures by Governor Godwin Obaseki-led government of the state to contain the spread of the dreaded virus.

Okundia, who assured that the screening would be extended to other LGAs, added that the state had plans to begin house to house active case searching.

He said, “As part of efforts by the Edo State Government to curtail the spread of coronavirus, we have commenced facility and community mobile based screening for COVID-19 in Oredo LGA, which will subsequently be replicated in other LGAs. I want to assure you that this government has implemented measures to ensure that we curtail the spread of the virus.

“Health workers across the 18 LGAs have been trained, and will man the first set of 50 screening centres, as we are targeting at least three in each of the18 LGAs of Edo state. Soon, we will commence house to house active case searching, to be conducted by these trained health professionals.”

“While we step up efforts to contain this scourge, we urge all residents to stay at home and observe social distancing guidelines and other precautionary measures against the disease, including regular handwashing with soap under running water and the use alcohol-based hand sanitisers. If you must go out, do so wearing face masks. Cover your mouth and nose properly when sneezing and/or coughing. Also, do well to report anyone with oversea travel history.”

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According to the commissioner, over 30 communities have been visited for Active Case Search (ACS), while 305 contacts have been line-listed across the state.

He, meanwhile, decried the level of compliance to the state government’s order targeted at preventing further spread of the disease and pleaded with residents to complement the government’s efforts at ensuring their safety.

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