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Residents panic as coronavirus spreads in Ondo
Following the report that the second coronavirus positive case in Ondo State was discovered in a clustered area, people of the state have been under tension over the fears of the COVID-19 spread.
The second suspect, an official of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja had came in from Lagos State and stayed at Ijakpo in Akure South Local Government before he tested positive.
His family has been placed on isolation, while the government continues search for other possible contacts.
Investigation has begun into how he entered the state despite closure of borders.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, who confirmed the fears in a chat with reporters, said the government had put machinery in place to investigate the manner the patient came into the state.
He said that efforts were on to stop challenges at the borders, to prevent influx of individuals who tested positive for COVID-19.
The commissioner said the persons would be educated and not just reprimanded, adding that the errors at the borders might have been done out of ignorance.
He said: “The most disturbing aspect is that the man went to Ijakpo and we all know the population status of Ijakpoo. It is highly populated. We are praying that all those we have quarantined do not come out positive.
“There are some persons who see COVID-19 as a normal Nigerian situation that will just come and go. What we are trying to prevent in Ondo State is community transmission, which is the most dangerous. One of the easiest points of community transmission is the border. If somebody who is infected comes in and mingles with the nearby community, it is dangerous.”
On the criticism trailing the membership of the committee raised to help cushion the effect of the lockdown in the state, Ojogo said the model adopted by the state was to ensure that the downtrodden are not excluded.
“Our model is different. Rather than having a committee, we have two committees. We have the Rapid Fund Raising Committee; we also have the Covid-19 Palliatives Committee. These two committees are not the same.”
“We have our own model. We decided that it would not be too elitist. The committee that will have the propensity to go deep into the farmlands to get foodstuffs for the state food bank. We set up that committee to ensure those affected and most vulnerable are touched. We are engaging in daily assessment of the situation.
“The succour we require does not need us to pick people domiciled here; we need people outside the state who have means to help the state that will be able to do this job. This committee is a solution provider. These persons are residents in Nigeria and have been meeting from time to time and funds are being mobilised.”
