COVID-19: My wife, SSG have coronavirus but I am negative – Ortom

By Jimin Geoffrey

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has confirmed his wife, Dr. Mrs. Eunice Ortom and Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Prof. Anthony Ijohor as testing positive for COVID-19.

The Governor in a press briefing today also confirmed his Chief of Staff, Hon. Terwase Orbunde and the state Head of Service, Mrs. Veronica Onyeke among others as having tested positive for the virus.

Governor Ortom who announced that though he tested negative, the first family had decided to go into total isolation including himself. He urged people of the state to go for testing to ascertain their status and take necessary action.

“One lesson that I want Benue people to appreciate and understand is that everybody has to make himself available for testing. The more you test, the more you know your status; when you know that you are positive, then you can subject yourself to treatment.”

When asked if government was considering another lockdown, the Governor said the state Action Committee on COVID-19 would sit early next week to review the situation with a view to considering the next line of action.

While noting that testing positive for the virus was not a death sentence, the Governor urged people of the state to take preventive protocols seriously in order to help stop the spread of the pandemic.

The Governor’s wife had earlier issued a statement she personally signed confirming her status and one of her sons, even as she called on anybody she might have come in contact with to go into self isolation and subsequent testing.

“While I have taken the responsibility to personally call every one I can recall to have had recent contact with to go for testing, I advise any one who has had close contact with me in the last 2 weeks and the public to go for screening and testing,” she stated.

Meanwhile, Secretary to the State Government, Professor Anthony Ijohor and Cbief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Terwase Orbunde have also confirmed their status for the virus.