Ekiti: We’ll prosecute COVID-19 patient who sneaked in from Katsina

The Ekiti state government, on Wednesday, said it would prosecute a female COVID-19 patient who violated the interstate travel ban.

NAN reported that the woman, who came from Katsina to visit her husband working in the state, was discovered to have contracted COVID-19.

The discovery was made after her husband, a soldier, alerted the task force when she started manifesting symptoms of the disease on arrival.

Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, the state commissioner for health, at the media briefing of the state COVID-19 team in Ado-Ekiti, said the woman committed an offence.

“Though it was the husband who alerted us, it was an offence against the state and the ministry of justice will take appropriate actions against her at the right time,” she said.

The commissioner said the woman’s husband, who was the only contact, has been quarantined for 14 days in line with the World Health Organisation’s guidelines.

“Let me also tell the public that all the patients in the isolation centres are stable and responding to treatment. Those who are persistently positive to testing are still being kept. With the level we have gone, we have nothing to worry about,” she added.

“The only fear we have is the fact that the curfew has been relaxed and people are not observing social distancing . People are still coming into the state through the borders via forceful and illegal means.”

Jimlas Ogunsakin, senior special assistant to the governor on public health, said seven people who returned to the state from Kano and three females who allegedly entered Ekiti from Oyo state have been quarantined.

“We got several tip offs from people and we acted on them. The Kano returnees came to Adeparusi Estate in Adebayo, Ado Ekiti, and some came to Atinkankan area,” he said.

“We got the information from the public and we got them arrested and they were quarantined immediately.”

Also, Muyiwa Olomilua, commissioner for information, said the state government has constituted an environmental task force to monitor compliance with protocols at market places, worship houses and banks.

Olumilua also said security agencies have been ordered to arrest those not wearing face masks.