COVID-19: 202 die in Oyo State, NCDC reveals

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has disclosed that no fewer than 202 people died of COVID-19 infection in Oyo State, southwest, Nigeria. Mr Dayo Adigun, the Laboratory Vocal Person, Oyo State Public Health Emergency Operation Centre, representing NCDC, made this known on Wednesday in Ibadan.

Adigun spoke at a sensitisation and mobilisation programme organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oyo State chapter. He said the centre had carried out COVID-19 tests on 91, 271 people in the state among whom 10, 156 tested positive for the virus from 2020 till date.

According to him, COVID-19 is still in existence in Oyo State and Nigeria in general, but people were not really coming out for tests, thinking the virus was no more. Adigun said that there have not been an increase in the number of people infected with the virus nowadays, because people were no longer coming out for the test.

He called on residents of the state to go for testing in order to know their status and vaccination to build their immune systems against the virus. Adigun said that a lot of vaccines at the centre had expired and were disposed of because people were not coming for vaccination.

Earlier, Mr Kayode Martins, NLC Chairman in the state, said that COVID-19 was still prevalent. Martins said that the programme was organised to sensitise workers and the entire residents of the state in order to prevent the spread of the virus. He said the programme was organised in collaboration with the National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA).

According to him, the world of work has been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic since it was discovered in China in 2019 and the pandemic had threatened and caused economic and social disruptions for businesses and individuals around the world.

Martins said that many workplaces were closed down, with their workers thrown out of employment because the employers could not maintain the pre-COVID-19 pay and incentives for them. He said some people nowadays thought the virus had gone, noting that the sensitisation had made it known that the virus still exists.

“We encourage people to come to the NLC Secretariat on Thursdays and Fridays for screening and vaccination from 9.00 a.m…The virus is still with us and we have to live with it and manage it,” he said.

Some of the participants at the programme included the state NULGE President, Mr Ayobami Adeogun; Oyo State NUT Secretary, Mr Salami Olukayode and Mr Dosu Akinpeku, representing the state pensioners, among others, commended the organiser of the state.

NAN/S.S