Children Are Becoming More Victims Of Covid-19 In Oyo State – Government Speaks Out

Ninety new cases of the state’s virus have been reported by the Oyo State COVID-19 task in the last two weeks, with most of the victims being children between ages 10 and 14 years.

Clinical epidemiologist, Dr Akindele Adebiyi, helping the Oyo State Emergency Operation Centre and member of the state technical working team on COVID-19, spoke on Tuesday at a media briefing, said of the 27,799 cases tested for COVID-19, 50 persons had lost their lives due to the infection in the state.

Adebiyi, who warned that COVID-19 is still very much around and stirring havoc, said deaths recorded due to the presence of the disease in the state, with more young people dying, not like times past when older people where mostly the victims and those with other health conditions.

He reported that more virus cases had been recorded in Ibadan North and Orelope local government areas where more testing for the infection is being executed.

Adebiyi said: “There is no age group that is spared when it comes to COVID-19, but we are seeing increasing numbers among ages 10 and 14, and this is important because these are the same age group staying with the elderly who are more likely to have the severe form of the infection.”

Professor Temitope Alonge, Chairman, Oyo State COVID-19 task force, stated that most of the children down with the virus were from a secluded school in a rural local government, adding that the case had been curbed.

In his statement, he said, “when the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) visited the area, parents and children didn’t use face masks, and they don’t keep to other COVID-19 guidelines.”

He has announced the ban on street carnivals, even as worship centres, night clubs, bars, and lounges as part of efforts to curb the virus’s spread during the festive duration, and charged citizens to adhere strictly to the existing nationwide curfew from 12 midnight to 4.00 a.m.

“Therefore, the advisory is that worship centres, night clubs, bars, and lounges are to adhere strictly to this particular restriction.

“Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Lagos State, after the announcement, directed that churches, in compliance with the national directive, should conclude their services early enough, and we are just asking CAN of Oyo State to do the same. It is not an Oyo State directive, it is a national directive, and we believe that it is for the general good of everybody,” he stated.