By FESTUS AHON, Asaba

Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr Mordi Ononye, yesterday listed a two months old baby among the 116 confirmed cases of the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic in the State, insisting that the virus was treatable.

Ononye who made the disclosure during a press briefing in Asaba, expressed optimism that the child would get well and be discharged, adding that the baby was being taken care of by that paediatricians.

The Health Commissioner who was flanked by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Chiedu Ebie, the State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, said the State presently has 77 active cases of Covid-19 and 31 discharged patients.

Ononye said: “We have recorded 8 deaths which are about 7 per cent case fatality rate and conducted 850 tests with a 7, 708 calls on our hotlines. We have investigated 850 suspects and at present, 13 health workers have been infected.

“No one should doubt that Covid-19 is real, there are confirmed cases in 13 local government areas of the state and 66 per cent of those affected are males while 34 per cent are females with a bed occupancy rate of 48 per cent”.

While reinstating the commitment of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s administration to curb the spread, he appealed to the media to assist in creating more awareness for the pandemic.

He held that a lot of the patients who were still in the isolation centres were waiting to be discharged as they have met with the criteria.

On his part, Secretary to the State Government, Mr Chiedu Ebie, hels that the curfew of 7 pm to 6 am was still in force in the state, appealing to Deltans “to obey safety measures set by the state government to check the spread of the virus.

“Covid-19 is real and you don’t need the government to pursue you to obey set protocols; we ensure that boundaries across the state are monitored; though, it has not been an easy task because some people just want to flout government’s directives”.

Ebie who decorated the State index case as Delta Covid-19 Ambassador, said; “I thank the private sector for their support which has come in different forms; cash, food items, medical consumables, among others.” The State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu who also spoke in the same vein, said Covid-19was, not a death sentence.

Meanwhile, the State Covid-19 index case, Chief Austin Eruotor said the virus has a cure though not yet certified, adding that the virus comes with different symptoms. The

fourth Covid-19 case in the State, Barrister Jerry Azinge who also spoke at the conference, thanked the State Government for the facilities put in place, insisting that COVID-19 was real. He advocated for hospital to hospital test. (Vanguard)

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