Following the positive COVID-19 result of the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, his wife, Bisi, members of the state executive council and aides of the governor have taken coronavirus tests.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Yinka Oyebode, said,

The wife of the governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, being the closest to the governor, and members of the executive, including myself, as well as personal aides of His Excellency, have submitted ourselves for COVID-19 test.

Oyebode, who spoke in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday during the press briefing of the state COVID-19 Task Force, said samples of the individuals believed to have had contact with the governor had been taken for the test.

We are now expecting the results. But none of us is symptomatic as of now; so no cause for alarm,

he added.

Fayemi had on Wednesday morning disclosed through his official Twitter handle that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and had since been self-isolating.

He had said,

I took my third COVID-19 test yesterday and it came back positive. I’m generally OK 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, but will continue routine duty from home.

The Commissioner for Information, Muyiwa Olumilua, who also spoke at the briefing, confirmed that the governor had self-isolated.

He said,

The governor had broken the news on his Twitter handle, but as a responsible government, we owe it a duty to do this officially.

Olumilua urged Ekiti people not to panic over the governor’s COVID-19 status, saying,

He remains asymptomatic as of now.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Yaya Kolade, said the molecular laboratory established by government had tested 1,000 persons across five local government areas of the state.

She said the state had recorded 86 cases since the onset of the pandemic, adding that 37 were still active,.

During this time, we have also traced over 500 contacts in relation to the number of cases we had had,

she added.

The coordinator of the COVID-19 Task Force, Prof. Bolaji Aluko, said violators of COVID-19 protocols in the state were being punished.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State has sympathised with Fayemi over his COVID-19 status.

The party’s Caretaker Committee Secretary, Diran Odeyemi, who wished the governor quick recovery, urged those around him to self-isolate and undergo the COVID-19 test as well.

Also, Senator Babafemi Ojudu on Wednesday wished Fayemi

quick recovery and God’s abundant protection

as he called on Ekiti people

to observe the protocols as prescribed by the experts to limit the rate of infection in our state.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.