COVID-19: Mass testing capacity, poor compliance responsible for 30 per cent increase cases in one week ― Ogun gov

The Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has attributed expanded testing of capacity and poor compliance of the extant guidelines on the part of the people, as two major factors responsible for the 30 per cent increase in the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the state.

Abiodun, in a text of his address on the activities of the government in curbing the further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, on Friday, noted that the government had increased its testing capacity to 450 per day, with focus on the communities with a possible high prevalence of infection and border communities.

The governor expressed worries over the non-compliance of standard rules by many residents of the state on social distancing order, wearing of face mask, and disobedience on the part of some transport operators.

He said the number of cases, which was 134 as of Thursday night, had further compelled his administration to further extend the lockdown directive imposed on the state by another one week, with three days of window relaxation, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

ALSO READ: Expert identifies COVID-19 psychological effects

“The spike in the number of positive cases, particularly in the last one week, is attributable to two main factors. First is the expanded testing capacity, currently at 450 per day, that has enabled us to embark on aggressive testing, especially in the communities with possible high prevalence of infection such as our border communities.

“The testing has presented us with the stark reality that community transmission is on the increase in our rural and urban communities in Ogun State. We will keep expanding our testing capacity by deploying more personnel and testing centers to every nook and cranny of the State.

“This leads me to the second factor for the increase in the number of positive cases. In spite of several warnings and the concerted efforts of our security agencies, a number of our people have continued to flout the measures in place to flatten the curve of the spread.

“Some residents still come out in the public without the use of facemasks or use the facemasks in a manner that do not shield their mouths and noses; motorcycles and tricycles riders still carry more than the approved number of passengers of one and two respectively; and drivers of taxi cab and passenger buses are also culpable in this flagrant violations of the extant guidelines.

“Our markets have also not fully compiled with physical distancing and other measures to ensure the markets do not become the COVID-19 transmission centers,” the governor added.

Abiodun further said that the government would continue to monitor the level of compliance with the lockdown measures and incidence of community transmission while saying that only positive developments would enable it to further ease the lockdown at the end of this new lockdown period.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE