#Coronavirus: 13 Imo lawmakers test positive for COVID-19

As the cases of COVID-19 continues to rise in Nigeria, 13 lawmakers of the Imo state House of Assembly have tested positive for the virus.

The new cases were confirmed barely six days after a lawmaker, whose identity was not released, tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the state.

The spokesman for the State Task Force on COVID-19, Chinedu Iwuala, confirmed this to Channels Television on Tuesday.

This brings the total number of lawmakers in the state who are COVID-19 positive to 14.

The infected lawmakers have gone into self-isolation and the State Assembly Complex in Owerri has remained shut since the first lawmaker was diagnosed with the virus.

Professor Maurice Iwu, the chairman of the state’s Covid-19 task force, had earlier disclosed on Tuesday, June 16, that a member of the house of assembly tested positive.

He added that the infected lawmaker has been placed on isolation with his wife, while tests have been directed to be conducted on all the state lawmakers.

On Monday, June 22, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) announced 9 new cases in Imo, bringing the total cases in Imo to 243.

It has now been revealed that 13 more lawmakers have been infected with the virus in Imo state.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported 675 new cases of COVID-19 across the country.

It noted that the new cases were confirmed in 20 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

They included Lagos – 288, Oyo – 76, Rivers – 56, Delta – 31, Ebonyi – 30, Gombe – 28, Ondo – 20, Kaduna – 20, Kwara – 20, Ogun – 17, FCT – 16, Edo – 13, Abia – 10, Nasarawa – nine, Imo – nine, Bayelsa – eight, Borno – eight, Katsina – eight, Sokoto – three, Bauchi – three, Plateau – two.

As of 11 pm on Monday, Nigeria has 20,919 confirmed cases of coronavirus out of which 7,109 patients have been successfully treated and discharged while 525 have died.