Enugu, Ebonyi report new cases with travel history
Reports from State Government authorities in the south east show that infected Covid-19 cases are beating inter-state security cordons to import the disease to the region.
Yesterday, 1 May 2020, both Ebonyi and Enugu States reported two new cases of Covid-19 arising from Coronavirus carriers who successfully beat highway security at the borders, all the way from Lagos to the two states.
It was only when they arrived at their destinations that their symptoms were detected up by vigilant health workers and Covid-19 task force.
Ebonyi Surprise Exposure
In a statewide broadcast last night, Gov. Dave Umahi angrily exposed the identity of a 25-year old Lagos trader who sneaked into Ebonyi and was heading to his home town before he was intercepted by men of the Covid-19 Task Force at Ebonyi LGA, tested and found positive to the virus.
The four close contacts he had were all taken away and tested too but they all returned negative, he said.
Describing how the traveler was able to get into the State, Gov. Umahi said he broke his journey into five, crossing six different states before arriving at Abakaliki, the State capital on his way to his hometown.
He began the journey with a Benin-bound bus (crossing two States), then took another to Asaba (1 state), Asaba to Onitsha (1 State), Onitsha to Enugu (1 state) and finally from Enugu to Abakaliki.
He has been whisked away to an Isolation Centre for quarantine and treatment, Umahi said.
Enugu’s Challenges with Border Security
Enugu has reported a fourth case of Covid-19, described as a 39-year old who also lives and works in Lagos from where he sneaked into Enugu last week Wednesday, 22 April.
The case subsequently took ill and reported to a mission hospital for treatment, from where vigilant health professionals at the hospital reported symptoms observed to the State Task Force on Covid-19.
The Task Force went to collect samples for testing and the result returned positive to the virus, a statement from the State Ministry of Health confirmed last night.
The discovery that most recent confirmed Covid-19 cases have had travel history outside the region has exposed weak security enforcement of restrictions on interstate travels by Governors, fueling recent importation of Coronavirus into the region.
While the latest Enugu and Ebonyi cases both sneaked in from Lagos, Enugu’s third case also traveled out of the State only to return and take ill from the trip to the Northern parts of the country.
“Greater vigilance at the ports of entry into Enugu State is advised,” Enugu Health Commissioner, Dr. Ikechukwu Emmanuel Obi said in the Statement last night.
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