Reports Of 37 COVID-19 Deaths In Imo Untrue – Commissioner

The Imo State Government has debunked reports that the state recorded thirty-seven fresh COVID-19 deaths.

The state’s Commissioner for Health, Bartholomew Okorochukwu, dismissed the reports during a press conference held on Wednesday in Owerri.

According to Okorochukwu, health officials in the state visited Mbitolu Local Government Area where the deaths were rumoured to have occurred and found the report to be untrue.

“This news briefing became necessary based on the news making the rounds that there were about 37 persons in Mbitolu Local Government Area that died within the space of one week and that the town was in turmoil.

“We received information that the villagers were in shock, running helter-skelter, and that they wanted the state government to come urgently to their rescue.

“One of the key things our health team noticed on arrival was that people went about their normal businesses with no form of pandemonium anywhere,’’ he noted.

Okorochukwu said the LGA’s chairman, counsellors and local chiefs, amongst others, confirmed the rumour to be false.

He said some deaths had occurred over a long period of time but burial rites had not been conducted for them.

“On enquiry, we discovered that the relatives were not ready with burial rites and that the deaths resulted from accidents, illnesses and old age and they did not occur in quick succession

“We advised them against delaying such burials because of current global health challenges,’’ the commissioner stated.

He warned residents against lowering their guard as the Delta variant of the disease is “a killer and we should try all we can to avoid it.”