Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, on Saturday, inaugurated an upgraded 10-bed space Agbami Isolation Centre in Jericho, Ibadan for the COVID-19 patients.

Makinde said on the occasion that the new facility would encourage private individuals to self-isolate at the centre.

He explained that the facility, which was a Tuberculosis (TB) Centre, was inaugurated at the twilight of the last administration.

“It has been upgraded now; we have oxygen concentrator here and you will get the type of care that you truly deserved.

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“Now, there is COVID-19 pandemic in our hand and we also have high-earned individuals in Oyo State, who are not comfortable going to Olodo Isolation Centre, because they want individual room and privacy.

“For those individuals, we know some of you have aged parents at home and because we have to give concession for such individuals to self-isolate at home and monitor them, now, we don’t have to do much of that anymore.

“With the facilities here, you can self-isolate privately by just drive in.

“We will give you the treatment and we will ensure that you don’t infect others.

“Once you have been properly managed, you will go back to your various homes,’’ the governor said.

He enjoined people not to be negligent of the coronavirus, or afraid to confirm their COVID-19 status, adding that the disease was not a death sentence.

“I battled COVID-19; so, it is not a death sentence and it is not something to be ashamed of.

“The virus is here with us and it will be here for some times to come.

“It is not going to disappear in two or three weeks from now. So, we have to learn to live with it.

“If any of us is sick, we have the facilities; we have taken the opportunity of the disease to strengthen our health care facilities.’’

He said that after the pandemic, the facilities would remain and that government would continue to maintain them.

“You don’t need to go and hide at private hospitals where they don’t really have facilities, resources and the personnel to ensure that you access adequate care,’’ he said.