The government of Osun has described as untrue, reports that six persons who tested positive for coronavirus escaped from one of the isolation centers in the state.
In a statement, Funke Egbemode, the commissioner for information, said a headcount that was conducted on Saturday, April 4, 2020, showed that only one person could not be accounted for.
Some of the 127 returnees from the Ivory Coast had been isolated while 22 of them tested positive for coronavirus. There were reports that six of them escaped from the isolation center.
But Ismail Omipidan, the chief press secretary to the governor, had earlier told journalists that the true situation of things would be known after a headcount at the center in the Ejigbo area of the state.
Hours after Omipidan spoke, Egbemode issued a statement, asking the public to disregard news making the rounds that six people had escaped from isolation.
“Our attention has been drawn to a story purporting that six persons were missing from our Isolation center in Ejigbo. One of the writers quoted a non-existent statement from the government to lend some measure of credibility to the story,” the statement read.
“Nothing can be further from the truth. As a government, we have not issued any statement to confirm or deny such a story. Besides, a quick check showed that the name and number of the first person on the list of the purported missing patients are indeed currently in our facility in Ejigbo.
“Recall that about a week ago, we received 127 returnees from Ivory Coast and we have kept them since then to avoid community transfer of the virus.
“This morning we embarked on a headcount and found out that only one person could not be accounted for by officials stationed at the Isolation center out of the 127 persons. The State Government is currently investigating the matter and will ensure that the missing person is brought back to the Isolation center and we will also ensure we trace all his contacts.
“We implore members of the public to discountenance the alarm being raised. We will continue to do everything to protect the lives of our citizens in this fight against Coronavirus.”
There are unconfirmed reports that while six persons escaped, three were traced while two are on their way back to the camp.
