Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
The Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has tested positive for COVID-19 virus.
Fayemi had been previously tested twice with the results coming out negative.
But Fayemi said on his tweeter handle yesterday: “I took my third COVID-19 test yesterday and it came back positive.
“I am generally okay and I’m already self-isolating at home and receiving the best of care from my medical team.
“I’m delegating critical tasks to my Deputy, Mr. Bisi Egbeyemi , but will continue routine duty from home, JKF.”
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Yinka Oyebide, also revealed that the first lady, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi and all the governor’s personal aides have gone for COVID 19 tests.
“The Wife of the Governor, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, being the closest to the governor and members of the state executive council, including myself as well as personal aides of His Excellency have submitted ourselves for COVID-19 tests.
“Samples have been taken and we are now expecting the results. But none of us is symptomatic as of now, so no cause for alarm,” Oyebide said.
Meanwhile, the members of the State COVID-19 Task Force have officially announced that Fayemi had tested positive for the virus.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Muyiwa Olumilua, said they decided to break the news as a responsible government that believed that no information about the governor should be hoarded from Ekiti populace.
Olumilua, who spoke during a COVID-19 Task Force press briefing in Ado Ekiti, revealed that the governor had self-isolated and will be attending to official duties from home.
“Ordinarily, we are not supposed to do this, because the governor had broken the news on his twitter handle, but as a responsible government, we owe it a duty to do this officially,” he said.
Olumilua said the governor would be attending to official duties from home while issues that would require his physical presence would be delegated to State Deputy Governor, Mr. Bisi Egbeyemi.
He urged Ekiti people not to panic over the governor’s medical situation, saying he remains as symptomatic as of now.
Similarly, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mrs. Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, said the molecular laboratory established by state government had tested 1,000 persons across five local government areas of the state.
Yaya-Kolade added that the state has recorded 86 cases since the breakout of the pandemic out of which 37 are still active.
“During this time, we have also traced over 500 contacts in relation to the number of cases we had had,” she said.
The leader of the COVID-19 Task Force, Prof. Bolaji Aluko, said those who violated the COVID-19 protocols are being punished, especially for not using the mandatory face masks.
The Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Gbenga Agbeyo, added that the fumigation exercise being undertaken by government has covered five local government areas of the state.
He said the exercise will cover core ministries and government’s institutions, saying these exercises would be concluded before reopening of schools.
However, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, has expressed its sympathy to Fayemi, who just confirmed that he contracted COVID-19.
The party, through the Secretary of the State Caretaker Committee, Mr. Diran Odeyemi, wished the governor quick recovery, urging those around him to isolate themselves and undergo the COVID-19 test too.
Odeyemi said that testing positive for COVID-19 was not a death sentence as Governor Fayemi would surely recover and come out negative.
The party urged Ekiti people to keep the COVID-19 precautionary measures that were outlined by Governor Fayemi’s administration, bearing in mind that the virus is real and yet to have any cure.
As a party, we wish the governor well. We pray that he recovers quickly.
“We also wish to call on our people in the length and breadth of Ekiti State to continue to observe the COVID-19 protocols so that the rate of infection in the state will be low” Odeyemi said.
