By CHARLES IWUOHA

A widow from Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State who smuggled the husband’s corpse into the state from Lagos for burial has tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19.)

Hers is one of the three new cases confirmed on Monday night by the Enugu State Government, bringing the total number of cases in the Coal City State to 15.

So far, all the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state have active travel history, which occurred while the inter-state travel ban had been imposed.

Confirming the development, Obi Emmanuel Ikechukwu, the State’s Commissioner for Health, lamented that people have continued to defy the ban.

The Commissioner also confirmed that two other patients receiving treatment have tested negative to the virus.

His statement reads: “The Enugu State Ministry of Health wishes to announce that 2 more cases out of the previously active COVID-19 cases undergoing treatment in Enugu State have tested negative and are being assessed for discharge from the isolation and treatment centre.

“However, the state has unfortunately received 3 new results of persons who have tested positive for the virus.

“This means that Enugu State has had 15 cases in all, with 9 active cases and 6 cases discharged after testing negative.

“The two cases that have tested negative are case number 5 and her daughter who is case number 9.

“The 3 new positive cases, who entered Enugu State illegally during this ban on inter-state transportation, are as follows:

“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 closure of all land boundaries and inter-state movement. 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 Nasarawa 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. He 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.

“In these times, we all need to comply strictly with all measures and regulations and exercise restraint from behaviours that will put others at risk.

“The good people of Enugu State are still encouraged to continue to comply with the directives of the Federal and Enugu State governments on containment of the spread of COVID-19 as well as the precautionary measures in the public health advisory of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, and the Enugu State Ministry of Health.”

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