‘Rising COVID-19 cases in Edo evidence of improved testing capacity’

The Edo State Government has said the rise in the number of confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the state in the past few days is as a result of the state’s ramped-up testing capacity, which is aimed at providing ample insights to properly calibrate its prevention, treatment and control measures.

Special Adviser to the Edo State Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, in a statement, said the state government has procured four Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) machines, acquired 5000 Viral Transport Medium (VTM), set up two testing centres, decentralized screening and sample collection and incorporated private hospitals, as part of measures to check the spread of the pandemic in the state.

According to him, “In the past few days, we have recorded an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in our state. This is not happenstance; we set out to actually seek out these persons, which is part of our strategy to ascertain the spread of coronavirus in the state.

“To ensure we get a true picture of the spread of coronavirus in the state, we have procured four PCR machines, which are used for testing for coronavirus. We have also set up two new testing centres in Benin City, to complement the one at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH). We have also acquired 5000 VTM and decentralized the samples collection using the mobile post screening campaign. All these are geared towards ensuring that everyone is captured and that we detect persons who may have been infected but are asymptomatic.”

Osagie urged Edo people to continue to adhere to the hygiene and safety precautions, including regular handwashing with soap under running water and use of alcohol-based sanitizers; wearing facemasks while in public; avoiding social gathering of over 20 persons, and staying at home.