TheCable

Four out of the 50 people arrested in a nightclub in Ilorin, the Kwara capital, have tested positive for COVID-19.

The club attendees were arrested in the early hours of July 18 by officials of the Kwara technical committee on COVID-19.

They were quarantined and their samples were taken for COVID-19 test.

Speaking to NAN on Wednesday in Ilorin, Femi Oladiji, chairman, medical advisory committee on COVID-19 in the state, said the affected persons had been contacted.

“I have been formally informed that four persons have been confirmed to be COVID-19 positive and they have been informed based on the telephone numbers they submitted,” Oladiji said.

“If you are told about your result, it is left for you to come or not. We can’t force you. There are so many people out there that are carriers.

“If we had not gone to arrest them, they would have been going about their normal lives.

“The best thing actually at this stage is preventive measures. The thing is so rampant and at the rate at which it is increasing, we can’t hold anybody down except those that have symptoms.

“If you have symptoms, you have to seek medical attention. If you don’t have symptoms, you will believe nothing is wrong with you.

“On the issue of spreading or not spreading, we emphasise on preventive measures.”

He maintained that majority of the cases in Kwara were asymptomatic, and such patients were expected to self-isolate in their homes, while those experiencing symptoms can come to isolation centres.

Oladiji warned Nigerians to stop ignoring the dangers of getting infected, and endeavour to take more precautions on containing the spread of the virus.

“I laugh at some people’s ignorance of the virus when they said that the state is just increasing the numbers to get more money,” he said.

“As I speak to you, two people are on danger list and we are praying that they survive. Our people should stop being ignorant and believe that COVID-19 is real.”