The coronavirus patient in Ekiti State has been discharged after recovering from the disease.

The patient, who has been receiving treatment since March 18 at the Ekiti State Infection Disease Control Centre in Oba Adejuyigbe General Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, was confirmed negative.

The patient lauded the state government and health personnel for attention to him throughout the period he was quarantined at the centre.

He said,

“I appreciate the state government, the medical team and entire Ekiti people for standing by me at my trying moment”.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Mojisola Yaya-Kolade, said,

“We are happy to inform Nigerians, most especially the Ekiti residents, that the only coronavirus case in the state has been discharged today, he has been treated of the deadly virus”.

Yaya-Kolade said that the state was monitoring the contacts that had been put in self-isolation, saying they would be in isolation for the prescribed 14 days.

He added, however, that all of them were stable without any symptom.

The Ekiti index case, who is a driver, is believed to have contracted the disease from a 27 years old American he drove to the state a few weeks ago.

Since he tested positive on March 18, the driver has been in the state isolation centre. The test for the American, who died later, was inconclusive while the American’s female caregiver tested negative but was also isolated for closer observation.

The commissioner said that the female caregiver of the late American “has done the test three times and she is negative”.

Yaya-Kolade, who said that all necessary test had been done to curb the spread of the virus in the state, appealed to all Ekiti residents to adhere to hygienic lifestyle and obey the stay at home order of the state government.

“Let’s all endeavour to live by the guidelines to curb the spread of COVID-19, use sanitizer, engage in regular hand washing, maintain social distancing and obey the stay at home order of the state government,” the medical expert said.