Two soldiers test positive for COVID-19 in Bayelsa

Two military personnel who admitted to recent travel histories to Lagos and Delta States and another male residing with one of the soldiers have tested positive for the dreaded COVID-19 in Bayelsa State, bringing to a total number of confirmed cases in the state to eleven.

The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health and Deputy Chairman, Bayelsa State Covid-19 Task Force, Dr Inodu Nathaniel Apoku, in a statement yesterday confirmed that the new patients have no epidemiologically link to any of the previously confirmed cases and since been evacuated for further treatment at one of the state owed Isolation Centres.

Dr Inodu in the statement explained that “the three new cases announced yesterday are a cohort. They were referred to us by a medical doctor. Their cases were investigated, and samples collected.

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“They are not epidemiologically linked to any of our previously confirmed cases but admitted to recent travel histories to Lagos and Delta States. Two of them are military men while the third is a household contact to one of the two. They are all males. They have been evacuated to one of our Isolation Centre. They are all clinically stable and receiving optimal medical care.”

He further explained that the single case announced on the 22nd May, 2020, by the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) is a single lady in her late thirties, living within the Yenagoa metropolis who called the state emergency lines with complaints of fever, cough and Malaria and requested for a COVID -19 test.

He said “the case announced on the 22nd is a single lady in her late thirties. She is a businesswoman and lives within the Yenagoa metropolis. She called our emergency lines with complaints of fever, cough and malaise and requested for a COVID -19 test.

“The State Rapid Response team investigated her case and collected samples for testing even though she did not admit to any travel history. She is not epidemiologically linked to any previously confirmed case in the State.

“She has since been evacuated for further treatment at one of our Isolation Centre. She is currently clinically stable and receiving optimal medical care.

“All contacts to these 4 new confirmed cases are being line listed and adequately followed up including necessary environmental decontamination. Samples have and are still being collected from their high -risk contacts while they have all been counselled on self-quarantine. Risk communication and community engagement are ongoing.

“We are happy to announce that within this period, case 6 (Abuja Retiree) was discharged from the NDUTH Isolation Centre after meeting the clinical criteria for discharge and a negative repeat COVID -19 test result. The health care professional (Case 7) is stable and responding to treatment.”

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