By Maureen Ojinaka
The Enugu State Government has announced three new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, bringing the total to 15.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ikechukwu Obi, disclosed this in a statement in Enugu on Tuesday.
Obi said that two previously active COVID-19 cases in Enugu had now tested negative, adding that the three confirmed cases had travel history.
“The Enugu State Ministry of Health wishes to announce that two cases out of the previously active COVID-19 cases undergoing treatment in Enugu state have tested negative and are being assessed for discharge.
“However, the state has unfortunately received three new results of persons who have tested positive for the virus.
“This means that Enugu state has 15 cases in all, with nine active cases and six cases discharged after testing negative,” he said.
Obi said that the two cases that had tested negative were cases number five and nine, adding that the three new positive cases entered Enugu State illegally during the ban on inter-state transportation.
“Case 13 is a 25-year old man from Ondo State, who lives in Lagos and made his way first to Akwa Ibom, then to Rivers State and finally to Obollo Afor in Udenu LGA of Enugu state, all within the period of boundaries closure.
“He developed symptoms while at Obollo Afor; the health authorities were alerted, he was tested and his result came out positive.
“Case 14 is a 38-year-old male from Okpuje in Nsukka LGA who lives in Nassarawa State and found his way back to Enugu State during the same period of lockdown.
“On suspecting he may have contacted the virus, he initially went into self-quarantine in a hotel at Nsukka and subsequently developed symptoms and alerted the health authorities.
” He was tested and his test result also came back positive.
“Case 15 is a 28-year-old female and a widow who hails from Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area, Enugu State, and lives in Lagos State with her husband.
“She recently lost her husband in Lagos and was able to smuggle her husband’s corpse back to Enugu state for burial, despite the lockdown in Lagos State and the national ban on inter-state movement.
“Her actions raised suspicion and the health authorities were alerted. She was subsequently tested and her result came back positive.
“These unfortunate figures are coming up as a result of individuals who have deliberately disobeyed the lockdown order and inter-state transportation as ordered by the federal and state governments,” he said. (NAN)
