Thirty Eight days after he was taken in, the State of Osun today discharged its COVID-19 index case after testing negative twice for the virus.The case had arrived Osun from the United Kingdom before being taken into the Isolation Centre, and subsequently to the care facility, where he has been receiving adequate medical care until his full recovery on Friday.Similarly, three health workers in the State who tested positive for Coronavirus, have also tested negative for the second time and are now free of the virus.The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Rafiu Isamotu made this known in a statement on Saturday.Isamotu recalled that the health workers had last Wednesday, tested negative for COVID-19 but had to be subjected to a second round of test, in line with the protocol of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC.
He revealed that the State government received results of the index case and those of the health workers’ second test on Friday evening from the NCDC accredited Testing Centre, the African Centre of Excellence in Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Ede.“With the development, the total number of active cases in the State is now eight,” Isamotu disclosed.The Commissioner also disclosed that the State had recorded another COVID-19 fatality, a patient in her late 60s at its isolation centre in Asubiaro, Osogbo.“On a sad note, we lost a COVID-19 patient in her late 60s at our isolation centre in Osogbo. We pray God grant her eternal rest and give her family the fortitude to bear the loss,” he said.Isamotu urged frontline health workers to always use their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when discharging their duties.He also reiterated that only accredited isolation and treatment centres in the State are allowed to attend to suspected COVID-19 patients.