My Wife, Son, SSG, HoS, CoS, Others Tested Positive For COVID-19 – Governor Ortom Says

…Urges people to go for test

BY OSBERT TOR-NAJIME, MAKURDI – Governor Samuel Ortom of Benie State has announced that his wife, Dr. (Mrs) Eunice Ortom, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Prof. Anthony Ijohor, Head of Service, Mrs Veronica Onyeke and his Chief of Staff, Hon Terwase Orbunde have all tested positive to Coronavirus.

Governor Ortom, who announced this at a press briefing at Government House, Makurdi, said that as a result, his family has resolved to go into isolation including himself.

The governor urged the people of the state to go for test in order to ascertain their status and take necessary action.

Ortom said; “One lesson that I want Benue people to appreciate and understand is that everybody has to make himself available for testing. The more you test, the more you know your status; when you know that you are positive, then you can subject yourself to treatment.”

Asked if the State government is considering another lockdown, Governor Ortom said the State Action Committee on COVID-19 would sit early next week to review the situation with a view to considering the next line of action.

Ortom said that testing positive for the virus is not a death sentence thus urged the people of the state to take preventive protocols seriously in order to help stop the spread of the pandemic.

Dr (Mrs) Ortom had earlier issued a statement in which she confirmed her status and one of her sons and therefore called on anybody she might have come in contact with to go into self-isolation and subsequent testing.

She said; “While I have taken the responsibility to personally call everyone I can recall to have had recent contact with to go for testing, I advise anyone who has had close contact with me in the last two weeks and the public to go for screening and testing”.

Similarly, the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Anthony Ijohor and Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Terwase Orbunde have also confirmed their status for the virus.