By Onome Oghenetega
There was apprehension on Sunday in the Ekpan area of Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State when state officials reported evacuated a resident alleged to be having symptoms of the novel coronavirus case to an Isolation centre at the Warri Central Hospital.
It was learnt that the officials who came with an ambulance bearing Warri Central Hospital were reportedly led by officials of the state government and those of Uvwie Local Government Council.
Meanwhile, a suspected case of the coronavirus at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DESUTH), Oghara, has reportedly tested negative.
Delta has not recorded any case of the coronavirus epidemic since its outbreak in the country.
The evacuation of the COVID-19 suspect for quarantine led to apprehension among residents of the twin-cities of Uvwie, Warri and their neighbouring communities on Sunday morning.
A video recorded by a resident of the area during the evacuation had since gone viral on the social media.
Our correspondent gathered that the Delta team tackling the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic was in the area to move the case to an isolation centre for test after the suspected case reported of the symptoms to state officials.
The reporter could, however, not confirm the sex of the case.
In the over two minutes viral video, the resident narrated how the COVID-19 officials came and move the suspected case from his home along the popular Refinery Road in Ekpan near Warri.
However, in Oghara, a suspected case of the COVID-19 currently being quarantine at DESUTH Oghara tested negative, a source at the hospital told NIGER DELTA TODAY Online on Sunday.
According to our source, sample of the suspected case which was sent to the Irrua Specialist Hospital in Edo State returned negative.
The source added that the patient was still being monitored before being allowed to return home.
Meanwhile, repeated efforts to speak with the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mordi Ononye, on both developments proved abortive.
Our correspondent who had been making frantic efforts to get official clarification since Sunday morning from the commissioner were unsuccessful as repeated calls and text messages to the commissioner number were rebuffed as of the time of filing this report (6:30pm).
However, the Medical Director Central Hospital, Warri, Dr. Paul Okubor, said the hospital is not housing any confirmed case of the coronavirus.
He acknowledged that a patient having similar symptoms of COVID-19 was moved into the facility but had not been confirmed to be positive.
