By Mudiaga Affe
Following the increase in deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Edo State Government on Friday called on residents to make themselves available to be inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine.

The state government, while reiterating its commitment to ensuring the safety and protection of all Edo people, announced that in the last 24 hours, it had recorded four new deaths, arising from the pandemic.

It, therefore, maintained that vaccination remained the only known answer to curbing the spike of virus in its third wave across the state.

Addressing a press conference at the Government House on Friday, the team lead of the state’s Case Management Task Force on Covid-19 Response, Dr Ebomwonyi Osagie, said the Godwin Obaseki-led administration remained committed to ensuring the health and safety of citizens and would explore every option available for the protection of the best interests of Edo people.

Ebomwonyi said the state had witnessed in the past 24 hours, 28 new cases of Covid-19 infections, four new deaths, and no new recoveries or discharge, adding that test positivity is 11.2 percent.

He stressed that the government was commencing intensive enforcement of the use of Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) to curb the current spike in COVID-19 infections and deaths.

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He said, “These measures include compulsory wearing of facemasks, regular washing of hands under running water and/or use of hand sanitisers, and maintenance of recommended social and physical distancing in public places, among others”.

Those present at the daily media briefing were the Edo State Coordinator, World Health Organisation (WHO), Mrs. Faith Iyere, Africa Centre for Disease Control (CDC) representative in Edo state, Dr. Pius Ononigwe, and the Permanent Secretary, Edo state Ministry of Health, Dr. Osamwonyi Irowa.