Kwara records first COVID-19 death

The incident, which is said to be the first COVID-19-related death in the state, occurred on Saturday morning.

Rafiu Ajakaye, chief press secretary to the governor and spokesman of the Kwara state technical committee on COVID-19, disclosed this in a statement.

The man was said to have returned from Lagos with his wife and child, and they were treated as suspected COVID-19 cases, and their samples were taken for testing.

However, the man died before the test result was received on Saturday.

“Kwara State Government hereby announces the death of a COVID-19 case. The fellow had recently arrived Kwara from Lagos with his wife and a child shortly after he suffered stroke at his Lagos base,” Ajakaye said.

“Before his death, the government had treated him, his wife and their child as suspected cases and samples were taken from them. The results of their samples came back positive.

“Unfortunately, he died early Saturday morning even before the family got to know about their COVID status. He has been buried accordingly.

“Everyone involved in the burial has now had their samples taken. Because of the peculiarity of this development, the Rapid Response Team has moved in to bring all those involved into the isolation centre, including the wife and the child.”

The government prayed for the repose of the soul of the late patient, and urged citizens to see COVID-19 for what it is, as “a deadly and highly contagious virus that requires adherence to all safety protocols, including obeying the lockdown order.”

“We repeat that there is no shame or blame in contracting the virus as this is a global pandemic from which no one is immune,” the statement added.

The government also announced four new positive cases of COVID-19, “from amongst those who sneaked into the state from the northwestern axis of the country.”

According to Ajakaye, Kwara has now recorded 28 COVID-19 cases, of which 19 are active cases, even though asymptomatic.