COVID-19: 3-Yr-Old, Father, Siblings Test Positive In Imo

A three-year-old child has tested positive to COVID-19 in Imo State, the Chairman of the State Task Force Team on COVID-19, Prof. Maurice Iwu, said on Wednesday in Owerri.

Briefing newsmen, Iwu said seven active cases were isolated at the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri.

He said a family of six that comprised the father and three of his children that included the three-year-old tested positive for coronavirus pandemics, while one of the children tested negative.

He said the child, regarded by the team as a VIP kid, would be preferentially isolated.

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Iwu said the team had last month tested 96 travellers intercepted by security agents, with 42 of them testing positive.

He said 25 of the 42 cases were not residents of the state and had since gone their ways.

He said the task force, in synergy with other stakeholders, had continued on its mandate of communicating, educating and protecting people of the state on the coronavirus pandemic.

The COVID-19 task force chairman expressed gratitude to the members of the public, whom he said had been providing the team with information about suspected cases who are being tested accordingly.

Iwu said: “It is important to stress that the coronavirus is real but not a death sentence.

“The team has started getting calls from people informing us of those who are sick, which information is usually scrutinised.

“The task force is here to serve.

“We are trying to curtail the spread of coronavirus.

“We urge people to continue to observe all the COVID-19 protocols such as constant washing of hands under running water, use of alcohol-based sanitiser, social distancing and wearing of face masks.”

Iwu said churches were also expected to observe the Federal Government’s directive of maintaining coronavirus protocols and strictly adhering to the one hour church service time.

On strangers sneaking into the state, Iwu said the development was a security breach that calls for local intelligence.

He said the team had started engaging the services of traditional rulers and community vigilance groups to check such movements and report same to the team.

 

The Eagle