Osun state government said it has in the past few days recorded five cases of the more virulent and deadly B117 strain of COVID-19, which was first reported in the United Kingdom.
Government said it is worried because it was barely a week ago that the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 announced the discovery of the strain in Nigeria.
“Considering the continued disregard and defiance for safety protocols in the state, the government is extremely concerned about the days ahead”, Funke Egbemode, Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation said.
“This new strain spreads faster and kills quicker. If it continues to grow, more citizens will become vulnerable and those with underlying ailments more endangered.
“We cannot continue to act like Covid-19 is not real. It is not just a sad reality but one that has changed momentum with this more deadly strain.
“Citizens are enjoined to scale up their personal responsibility for safety by complying with all the non-pharmaceutical protocols outlined by the government, to avoid tragic consequences”, she added.
Osun, according to data supplied by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has 1,516 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as at 30 January.
Twenty seven new cases were confirmed on Saturday, while the death toll is now 32.
