Oyo State governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday,
kicked off a rapid testing initiative for COVID-19 in the State, declaring that
the outcome of the exercise would help contain the spread of the virus.
Governor Makinde, who declared open the COVID-19
Drive-Through/Walk-Through Testing, an initiative that is expected to test
2,000 samples within two weeks, at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba,
Ibadan, said the rapid testing initiative aligned to his administration’s
commitment to test at least 10,000 residents within a short time.
Governor Makinde appreciated the Citizen for Citizen, a
non-governmental organisation headed by the chairman of First Bank Nigeria,
Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, which provided the 2,000 testing kits and the LifeBank
Nigeria, for partnering with the State on rapid testing for COVID-19.
Speaking on behalf of the NGO, Mrs. Temidayo Olatunbosun,
said that the guidelines of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) would be
strictly followed in conducting the COVID-19 tests in Oyo State.
She also urged residents of Oyo State who have the COVID-19
symptoms to call the emergency operation centre for necessary action.
In his speech, Governor Makinde said: “Experts have opined
that the best place to start in solving our peculiar problems is by ramping up
our testing capabilities. For this reason, a few weeks ago, the Oyo State
Government, in collaboration with the University College Hospital, Ibadan, set
up a diagnostic centre to test for COVID-19 right here in Ibadan.
“Indeed, with social distancing through lockdowns proving to
be the most effective way of checking community spread, and the fact that
people can have COVID-19 and be asymptomatic, large-scale testing will help us
determine where and when targeted lockdowns are necessary.”
The governor maintained that his administration had begun to
put necessary things in place to ensure its capability to prevent, contain and
control the spread of COVID-19 even before the index case was recorded in the
state.
He said “caught between a rock and a hard place, we must find and
apply solutions that are a product of scientific and logical thought. These
solutions must also take our local circumstances into cognizance.
“In recent times, the Oyo State Government has come under
intense criticism for not implementing a total lockdown in the state, and for
not forcing people to shut down their businesses. We have seen the result of
more extensive lockdowns in neighbouring states. Yet, we are not celebrating a
win, because this is not a competition.
“Today, we are implementing one of the actions that is fundamental
in deciding what our next steps will be. In the next few days after we increase
testing, we will see for ourselves whether a complete lockdown is necessary.
Our aspiration is to test up to 10,000 people within the shortest possible
time. We are starting with the first 2,000 from today. I have been told we can
complete this round in two weeks.
“Let me use this opportunity to express our gratitude to the
Citizen for Citizen Initiative led by Mrs Ibukun Awosika, which donated the
2,000 test kits we will use for the tests. We also thank LifeBank Nigeria,
which is collaborating with us to conduct the tests.”
Governor Makinde, who also used the occasion to appreciate
health workers in the State for putting their lives at risk for the people,
assured that his administration would continue to prioritise their welfare and
safety.
The governor stated that 610 personal protective equipment
were already on ground for the use of health workers while the State has also
ordered an additional 400.
He added that health workers would be the first to be tested
in the drive-through/walk-through testing exercise.
The governor further warned residents of the State not to
take lightly the Government’s warnings and directives on COVID-19, noting that
the virus is real.
He said: “Today is not a day to speak many words. We are
here to kick-off the testing, and I will let you get right to it. But before I
leave you, I want to say, and I will say this in both English and Yoruba to
everyone listening. There may seem to be reasons to disbelieve that Coronavirus
is real. Some people have said that the government is just using it to steal
money.
“Some people have even used me as an example, saying “our
governor had it but was not sick.” But let me say this, Coronavirus is real. I
may have been lucky not to have shown any symptoms, my immune system may have
fought it, but the next person may not be as lucky. We do not know who that
next person may be.
“Luck is not a strategy for beating COVID-19. We have to
follow logic and science. This is why we must maintain social distancing. You
must stand at least three feet apart from other people. You must wash your
hands regularly with soap and water or use an alcohol-based sanitizer. You must
co-operate with us when we give you guidelines to follow. After this testing,
when we see the results, there may be more guidelines. Please, work with us and
choose to stay safe. Together, we can beat COVID-19 in Oyo State.”
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