American woman who died in Delta, her boyfriend test negative for Covid-19

• Akwa Ibom discharges nursing mother, five other patients
• Bayelsa index case, two others discharged
• We co-opted community youths, vigilantes into security architecture — A’Ibom

DELTA State Government, yesterday said the 67 years old Caucasian American woman, who slumped and died in a hotel room in Osubi, Okpe Local Government Area of the state did not die of coronavirus.

State Ministry of Health in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Mr Donald Ojobor, said the sample of woman and her boyfriend which were sent for coronavirus test, came out negative.

The Ministry advised residents to comply with government’s directives on precautionary measures to protect themselves from the disease, stressing that “this is the only way to contain the scourge.”

Delta waterways/land security c’ttee tasks members enforcing inter-state lockdown

Chairman Delta State Waterways/ Land Security Committee, Mr Boro Opudu has tasked members of the committee to join hands with the Nigeria Police and other security agents to enforce  the inter-state lockdown directives by the Federal Government to check the spread of Covid-19.

Opudu in Warri at his office, told newsmen that the charge became necessary following the enormous task before the security agents in enforcing the compliance.

He explained that now that the country is at cross road, battling to contain the spread of this global virus, it has become imperative for its members to shift from their primary mandate and assist security agents in enforcing compliance with restrictions on inter-state movement.

Akwa Ibom discharges nursing mother, 5 other patients

Also in Akwa Ibom State, the state government has given clean bills of  health to no fewer than six Covid 19 patients, which include a nursing mother as the government discharged them from  isolation centre.

State Commissioner for Health, Dr Dominic Ukpong disclosed this while briefing newsmen, yesterday, in Uyo. He said the discharged patients have met the protocols established by  Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, of two negative test before being let go

He said, “I want to announce to you the result of the 30 cases that we sent for testing and the final result came out on Monday and out of the lot, only one came positive. The rest were negative

“What we are doing today is to discharge those patients who tested negative. We have just discharged five of them.

“All of them will like to be anonymous, but you have seen them. We don’t want to publish their photographs and names but they have just been discharged.

“It is not easy to be confined for sometimes for upward of 22 days, sometimes up to 30 days while we were testing you to be sure that you are negative.

Bayelsa index case, two others discharged

Bayelsa State index case of Covid-19 and two other cases linked to her, who were earlier treated at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital, NDUTH, Isolation Centre have been discharged after they recovered and  tested negative.

Co-Chairman of the Bayelsa State Covid-19 Task Force and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health,  Dr. Inodu Apoku, who disclosed this to newsmen in Yenagoa, said  that results from 16 samples are pending as they were yet to be analysed due to the challenges with reagents that the Irrua Specialist Reference Laboratory was currently facing.

Reiterating the compulsory use of face masks in public places, Apoku, said that the state government had extended the stay at home for another one week beginning from Monday, and further directed that travelers from high risk states of Lagos, Kano and Ogun be placed on a mandatory 14 days quarantine, while inter-state lockdown and 8p.m., to 6a.m., curfew continue in line with Federal Government directive.

We co-opted community youths, vigilantes into security architecture — A’Ibom

In Akwa Ibom State, the state government said  that the decision to co-opt community youths and vigilante  groups to beef up security at border communities across the  state was paying off.

State Commissioner for Health, Dr Dominic Ukpong disclosed this, as he expressing dismay over the continued flouting of the order restraining people from entering the state due to the Covid 19 spread.

He commended the security operatives, zero the community youths  and vigilantes in  Ika local Government Area of the state over the interception of another  attempt to smuggle Covid 19 corpse into the state.

Ukpong, intimated that the latest body was  transported from Lagos State, adding that it was disheartening that despite the interstate lockdown, family members could risk such adventure, adding that such trips usually required the use of bush paths in order to beat security checks on the highways.

Bayelsa CP frowns at indiscrimate arrests of residents

Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, Nkereuwem Akpan, has expressed displeasure over the indiscrimate arrests of residents of the state by men of the Command under the guise that they lockdown directives.

Mr Akpan, disclosed that he had received several complaints from residents of the state over the “illegal” activities of some policemen during the Covid-19 lockdown and curfew and lamented that the activities of few bad eggs were denting the image the police force and portraying the police command in the state in bad light.

Speaking  yesterday, when members of the Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, Bayelsa State branch, paid a solidarity visit to him in his  office, at the State Police Command Headquarters in Yenagoa, he pointed out that the Command will sensitize and monitor the enforcement of the lockdown and curfew by officers and men of the command to ensure that they adhere to the rules of engagement, assuring that the relationship between the police and the public will improve significantly.

Group decries impact of post COVID-19 on Urhobo economy

In another development, worried  by the devastating effect of the ravaging coronavirus pandemic on global economy, the Urhobo Economic and Investment Group, UEIG, has noted that the pandemic has negatively impacted the Urhobo nation with debilitating effects on the socio-economic activities of the people.

The group in a communique  by the Convener, Mr Kingsley Ubiebi at the end of a webinar, said the webinar focused on enlightening the people on the implications of the COVID-19 on the economy of Urhobo Nation.

He said,  “However, the health and safety of all Urhobos and other Nigerians in Urhobo land remains an utmost priority. Therefore, everyone should pay adequate attention to all Covid-19 safety guidelines such as wearing of face masks, washing hands with soap under running water at regular intervals, use of alcohol-based sanitizer, practice social distancing and personal hygiene.’’