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| Prof Maurice Iwu |
A three-year-old child has tested positive to COVID-19 in Imo, the Chairman of the State Task Force Team on COVID-19, Prof. Maurice Iwu has said.
Iwu made this known while briefing newsmen in Owerri on Wednesday.
He said that seven active cases were isolated at the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri including a family of six with the father and three of his children testing positive including the three year-old, while one of the children tested negative.
He said the child, regarded by the team as a ‘VIP kid’ would be preferentially isolated.
Iwu said the team had last month tested 96 travellers intercepted by the security agents with 42 of them testing positive.
He said that 25 of the 42 cases were not resident of the state and had since gone their way.
He said the taskforce, in synergy with other stakeholders, had continued on its mandate of communicating, educating and protecting the people of the state on the coronavirus pandemic.
The COVID-19 taskforce chairman expressed gratitude to members of the public whom he said had been providing the team with information about suspected cases who are being texted accordingly.
“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 scrutised.
“The task force is here to serve.
“We are trying
to curtail the spread of coronavirus and 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,” he said.
The committee added that they are targeting to test 100 persons daily in Imo State as part of efforts to control and prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Iwu, therefore, encouraged Imo people to make themselves available for test to ascertain their status regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the Churches were also expected to observe the Federal Government’s directive of maintaining coronavirus protocols and strickly adhering to the one hour Church service time adding that the team would start monitoring the Churches for compliance.
On sneeking in of strangers into the state, Iwu said the development was a security breach which calls for local intelligence adding that the team had started engaging the services of traditional rulers and community vigilante groups to check such movements and report same to the team.
Iwu added that the state now has four protected isolation centres in Orlu, Okigwe, Mbaise and Owerri while the recently inugurated WODDI Isolation centre would commence full operation.
Prof Iwu had earlier commended the media for their prompt desemination of information on what members of the public were expected to do in order not to contract the pandemic.