Tragedy hits Edo state as another unvaccinated person died of the deadly viral disease, COVID-19.
This sad development happened despite efforts of the Godwin Obaseki’s administration to intensify the rollout of the second phase of COVID-19 vaccines across the state’s 18 local government areas, as part of ramped-up efforts to achieve herd immunity against the virus and contain the third wave of the pandemic.
Dr. Osagie Ebomwonyi, the head of Edo’s COVID-19 Case Management stated these yesterday at the daily virtual meeting of the state’s COVID-19 Taskforce, chaired by Obaseki.
Ebomwonyi urged Edo residents who had not been inoculated to come out and get vaccinated to remain healthy and protected against the deadly virus.
He said: “Edo, in the last 24 hours, collected 117 samples and recorded 18 new COVID-19 cases, 101 discharges, 361 active cases and one death, with a test positivity rate of 15.4 per cent.
“The mortality is that of an unvaccinated 87-year-old female, reported from the Irrua Specialist Hospital (ISTH). 17 of the new cases were reported at ISTH, with one confirmed from a Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT).
“We have now collected 18,713 samples and confirmed 1,629 cases, 1,177 recoveries, and 91 deaths since the outbreak of the third wave of the pandemic in the state.”
The COVID-19 case manager while reiterating the need for more residents to get vaccinated added: “As the government intensifies the vaccination of residents, among other measures to contain the pandemic and ensure the health of citizens, we urge everyone to complement the government’s efforts by getting vaccinated and comply with all non-pharmaceutical intervention, to contain the virus, because it is the safest way to defeat the pandemic.”