Update: Kwara records first COVID-19 death, urges citizens to stay calm

The Kwara State Government has announced the passing of a man who died of COVID-19 complications in the state just as the state also recorded four new cases.

The deceased, who died early on Saturday morning, was suffering from a stroke and recently returned from Lagos.

The chief press secretary to the governor and spokesman of the state, COVID-19 technical committee, Rafiu Ajakaye, who announced the incident on Twitter noted that the deceased arrived the state with his wife and a child.

He advanced that the state has since been treating them as suspected cases, and their samples were taken for testing

“Kwara State Government hereby announces the death of a COVID-19 case. The fellow had recently arrived Kwara from Lagos with his wife and a child shortly after he suffered a stroke at his Lagos base. Before his death, the government had treated him, his wife, and their child as suspected cases, and samples were taken from them. The results of their samples came back positive.”

However, Ajakaye said that the man died before the test results were received on Saturday and all other cases have since been moved into the state isolation centre for treatment.

“Unfortunately, he died early Saturday morning even before the family found out about their COVID status and has been buried accordingly. Everyone involved in the burial has now had their samples taken, however, because of the peculiarity of this development, the Rapid Response Team has moved in to bring all those involved into the isolation centre, including the wife and the child.

We pray to God to repose his soul. We urge citizens to see COVID-19 for what it is: a deadly and highly contagious virus that requires adherence to all safety protocols, including obeying the lockdown order. We repeat that there is no shame or blame in contracting the virus as this is a global pandemic from which no one is immune.

We commiserate with his family on this painful development while also wishing all of our patients a quick recovery.”

As of the time of filing this report, the state has recorded 31 cases of COVID-19, of which 24 are active, nine discharged and one death.