Seyi Makinde, the governor of Oyo State, has said facts, figures, and data available in the state on the current spread of coronavirus do not indicate a new wave but a continuation of the first outbreak of the pandemic.
Noting the curve since the outbreak of the pandemic was never flattened Makinde said arrangement was in top gear to explore other means of getting more vaccines for the people.
The Governor told journalists on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, in Ibadan: “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.”
On vaccines, he said: “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.”
Source: The Nation
