COVID third wave: Edo records four deaths in 24 hours

Ebomwonyi Osagie, head of the COVID-19 case management team in Edo, says four more persons have died of coronavirus complications in Edo state.

Osagie disclosed this on Friday, during a media briefing at the government house in Benin City, the state capital.

With the new fatality count, the death toll since the beginning of the third wave of the pandemic in the state has now risen to 19.

Osagie, who said all deaths recorded have been of unvaccinated persons, advised residents to protect themselves against the virus.

“We have recorded 28 new cases of COVID-19, no recoveries, and four more deaths of unvaccinated persons within the last 24 hours,” he said.

In his remarks, Osamwonyi Irowa, permanent secretary, Edo ministry of health, said efforts are being made to also ensure that teachers are vaccinated ahead of school resumption.

Irowa said it is necessary for parents to also get vaccinated to avoid being infected with the virus through their children.

Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, had announced on August 23, that the state will soon restrict unvaccinated persons from public gatherings.

Obaseki had said the directive will take effect from the second week of September.

However, a federal high court in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital, has granted an order restraining the Edo governor and the state government from restricting unvaccinated persons from attending mass gatherings.