Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, yesterday raised the alarm that the spread of COVID-19 had reached a state of emergency with 80 cases reported within one week.
Akeredolu, while speaking at a weekly briefing on the COVID-19 in the state, said a total number of 154 cases had been confirmed in the state.
The governor disclosed that the state COVID-19 team collected 1,257 samples out of which 154 were confirmed positive.
He disclosed that the total active cases on admission are 71 while the state has recorded 18 deaths just as 47 patients had been discharged.
Akeredolu said the infected persons were located in 13 local government areas across the three senatorial districts.
“As at today, June 22, 2020, a total of 727 contacts of confirmed cases have been line-listed; 287 under follow-up and 440 have completed 14-days follow-up exercise.
“My people please make no mistake about it, COVID -19 is fully here with us, and the reality today shows that it is dangerously spreading within our communities and the state from persons to persons.
“From the data reeled out above, it is not unexpected that those who came into contact with the earlier confirmed cases are the largest victims of COVID–19 infection currently,” the governor said.
Akeredolu said the spike in number of new cases showed embarrassing fact that many people still do not believe that the virus exists, let alone making conscious effort to prevent it.
According to the governor, “It is also unfortunate that a few dishonest people have quite wickedly attributed the campaigns by state governments as an avenue to attract financial releases from the federal government.
“Others have decided to wallow in self-denial by simply ignoring all guidelines and information about COVID-19.
“According to them, they have not seen individuals infected and have not seen the corpses of deceased victims. They simply reject the safety measures and perceive the pressures of the restrictions and other precautionary protocols as too tedious.
“I believe the families of the precious lives so far lost and those who are on admission at our Infectious Diseases Hospital in the state now know better. “They understand the pains of loss and displacement inflicted by COVID-19. They can attest to the truism of the saying that ‘Prevention is better than cure’.
“As I said earlier, the government is seriously concerned with this unpleasant trend and will garner its energy and resources to implement every measure to protect and preserve all residents of the state.”