‘Figures, data not pointing to second wave of Covid-19 in Oyo’ – Makinde

As the number of confirmed cases continue to rise, the Oyo state gaffer, Mr. Seyi Makinde on Wednesday insisted that facts, figures and data available in the state on the current state of the spread of Coronavirus does not indicate a new wave but a continuation of the first outbreak of the pandemic.

Governor Makinde, who noted that the curve since the outbreak of the pandemic was never flattened, also disclosed that arrangement is in top gear to explore other means of getting more vaccines for the people, stressing that the state has already opened discussions with certain manufacturers on how it can get as many as possible for the people.

It will be recalled that Oyo state recorded more than 400 confirmed cases in two weeks, according to the daily figure from the  Nigeria Centre For Diseases Control (NCDC).

Speaking further, the governor, while addressing newsmen on the state of the virus in the state said the planned 1,800 vaccines to be supplied to the state through the federal government is grossly inadequate for the people whose population stands between 7-10 million.

Governor Makinde, who stated that though,  the data revealed that “Covid-19 is still very much with us”, urged the residents of the state to follow the safety protocols.

In his words, “With recent happenings and talks of the Second wave of Covid-19, I count it necessary that I address you.

“Let me start by talking about this issue of supposed Second Wave. I have always said all our responses to Covid-19 in Oyo state will be guided by data, science and logic.

“So, as far as Oyo state is concerned, the data we have is not pointing to a second wave as the curve was never flattened, to start with.

“For example, between when we started testing people in March 2020 and December 2020, we conducted 20,000 tests out of which about 3,000 were positive of Covid-19.

“By the NCDC guidelines, we tested mostly sick people who have direct interaction with those who have the virus. The NCDC have revised those guidelines and made testing open to accommodate more people, including those who may not even be showing any symptoms.

“So, from December 2020 till date, we have conducted a further 14,000 test. And I have had about 696 positive cases. So, it is clear that we did not have flattening of the curve, rather, we have more people becoming more complacent and acting more as if the pandemic was over.

“But the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) has continued its work of monitoring and enlightenment. The data says Covid-19 is still very much with us. Science is telling us that we can slow down the spread by taking precaution. The logical thing to do is to follow what science says.

“We know how difficult 2020 was for a lot of us. Logically, we should not do things that will make the situation worst. This is not the time to let down our guards. If anything, we should not take any of the precautions lightly.

“In the last months, we have unfortunately had eight deaths. So, even though many people have mild to moderate symptoms, it is severe for a few. And since we do not know who would be severe on, we need to keep our guards on.

“On our part, we are doing everything within our power to provide more resources for the EOC to continue to manage the spread of this disease.

“We are facilitating greater collaborations between the laboratories, the University College Hospital, Ibadan and our Infectious Disease Centre, Olodo, Ibadan. We are also carrying out trainings for private clinics and hospitals so they can follow the right protocols.

“And for those who may need oxygen, we are signing an MoU with a private facility to use their facilities if the need be. They are providing oxygen at UCH and already have facilities in the state, so we are just asking them to factor Oyo state into their production schedule.

“On the issue of vaccines, the Federal Government, from what we read have allocated 1,800 vaccines for Oyo state and for the country, I understand that about a 100,000 vaccines are being procured.

“But first, in Oyo state, we don’t have the facility to store it at -70 degree centigrade and again, this number is grossly inadequate if you want to vaccinate over 100,000 people out of a population of almost 200million, it is not going to make any dent.

“For Oyo state with a population of about 7 to 10million, 1,800 vaccines will not go anywhere. So, we are exploring other means of getting this vaccine to our people. I have been advised that the oestrogenic vaccine is more suitable for Oyo state due to storage instructions.

“So, we are opening discussions with manufacturers on how we can get as many as possible for our people. So, for now, the protocol remains the same. Professor Alonge and his team will continue to manage the Covid-19 situation for us, but, what I will say to each and every one of us is that we have to own our action.

“Wash your hand with soap and water, use an alcohol-based sanitiser, wear a mask and keep proper social distancing. And if you remember when we just started dealing with Covid-19, we brought out some advisory on things that can boost the immune system and those advisory are very useful at this moment”, the governor urged.