COVID-19: Ekiti places 42 persons in isolation, bans gatherings of more than 20

The Ekiti State Government on Friday said it had placed 42 direct and indirect contacts of the confirmed Coronavirus case in the state under isolation.

The state government also placed a ban on gatherings of more than 20 people in the state, including social, religious and family.

The state governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, revealed this in a statewide broadcast on Friday.

He said: “Our contact tracing team has identified 42 direct and indirect contacts of this imported Ekiti index case, most of whom came in contact with him in the process of managing the illness which took him to hospital.

“None of the contacts show any symptoms and are all being observed under self-isolation. In the next 14 days, their samples will be collected and sent to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control for testing and we will update the public on the results and any further developments as we receive them.

Read also: Nigerian govt orders immediate closure of all tertiary institutions, secondary and primary schools

“The Ekiti State Isolation Centre has been activated since the confirmation of the positive case, who is currently on admission there, though he is very stable and showing no symptoms as of this morning. Basic amenities to make the stay comfortable have been provided and medical equipment that may be needed for the symptomatic management of positive cases are being provided.”

While announcing the ban on social, political, religious and family gatherings of more than 20 persons, Governor Fayemi also said that all public and private schools in the state would be closed from Monday.

Furthermore, the governor encouraged all non-essential workers in private and public sectors to work from home from Monday.

It would be recalled that the state on March 18 recorded its first case when a 38-year-old native of the state resident in Ibadan tested positive for the virus, having come in contact with a 27-year-old American, who visited Nigeria from the US. The patient was conveying the American, in company with his caregiver, a 31-year-old citizen of the state, around as they were on holiday.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now