*Says influx of persons from neighboring States responsible for increase in cases
Dennis Udoma, Uyo
Akwa Ibom State Government has said that the influx of people from neighbouring states where there are no PCR test facilities is the reason for the current high rate of COVID-19 cases in the State.
The Coordinator for COVID-19 management and immediate past Commissioner for Health, Dr Dominic Ukpong, said that Akwa Ibom has the best PCR laboratory in the country, and that because of the invitation of the State government to neighbouring states to take advantage of the testing centre, many people have flocked into the state to use the facility but are doing so under cover, by adopting indigenous names.
Dr.Ukpong, who made this disclosure in a press briefing in Uyo on Friday, also blamed the rising number of cases on the attitude of the people.
He said that in their continued denial of the fact of the existence of coronavirus, many have consistently ignored the basic COVID-19 protocols and have therefore exposed themselves and others to infection.
“Following our invitation, we have pleasantly been receiving and testing increasing huge numbers of people and whole families coming voluntarily for testing in the last two weeks. These include large number of people from some neighbouring States where there are no facilities for PCR tests.
“You are well aware that we are the only state with two State-owned PCR laboratories which NCDC acclaimed to be about the best in the country. These PCR machines are maintained entirely by the state and people are tested free and all positive cases are also treated free at our permanent facility, the Infectious Disease Center, IDC, at Ituk Mbang,” he said
The Coordinator, who disclosed that the state government has once again subjected members of the state executive council, other public officers and frontline public servants to COVID-19 testing, maintained that Akwa Ibom would rather test and record many cases than wait for its people to die in ignorance.
His words “We have also been constantly inviting people to come in for COVID-19 testing. We prefer to test and treat every positive case found rather than wait for symptoms to develop because symptoms of the new variant, the DELTA variant, are not yet quite clear.
“We, however, know that many of those infected with the variant are symptomless; cough and loss of smell and taste are no longer regular features. Those infected can come down more quickly and seriously with the disease. The variant is also 50 times more infectious than the previous variants and is affecting young people with more severity than the previous variants,” he said.
