Benue speaker, son contract COVID-19

Titus Uba, speaker of the Benue state house of assembly, and his son have contracted COVID-19.

According to a statement issued on Monday by Lubem Tiav, chief press secretary to the speaker, Uba is asymptomatic and in a stable condition.

“Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly Titus Uba received his COVID-19 results on Saturday and tested positive, all the speaker’s household whose samples were tested for the dreaded disease came out negative except the speaker and his last son,” the statement said.

“According to the results, he is asymptomatic but stable, hale and hearty, in high spirit and has since commenced full treatment in self-isolation according to the protocol and advice of medical professionals.”

In a similar development, Tertsea Gbisea, the house chairman of the committee on information and orientation, who also tested positive for the disease, said Uba has ordered the immediate closure of the assembly complex.

“As a result of this development, the speaker has ordered the immediate closure of the Assembly complex and directed fumigation of the premises,” Gbisea said in a statement.

He added that all affected members of the house have gone into self-isolation and commenced treatment while contact tracing of persons who came in contact with them has also started.

“The Assembly by virtue of its official functions and constituency responsibilities stand the natural risk of exposure to carriers of the virus despite the adherence to personal hygiene and COVID-19 safety protocols, and just like every other public worker, it is an occupational hazard that comes with service,” he said.

“The affected members have immediately gone into self-isolation and full treatment on them has commenced in line with COVID-19 protocols. While Rt Hon Uba and Hon Gbiseh are without symptoms, they are at the moment assisting the NCDC in contact tracing.”

On Sunday, the Nigeria Centre for Disease and Control (NCDC) said 66 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the state.

So far, a total of 260 cases have been recorded in the state with 44 recoveries and six deaths.