The Edo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Patrick Okundia, has expressed worry over the increasing number of fake details in the manifest of passengers at motor parks across the state, noting that the falsification of identity was limiting the government’s contact-tracing efforts.
Okundia, who spoke to journalists in Benin, urged transporters to ensure that passengers give authentic details in the manifest before embarking on any journey.
He said the fake phone numbers and wrong addresses in the manifest posed a serious threat to the contact tracing of about 286 persons who have been listed.
Okundia, who charged hoteliers not to allow their rooms to be used for self-isolation, said some persons of interest were residing in hotels and mingling with others, thereby endangering the health and safety of other residents.
The commissioner said: “Some unscrupulous passengers now give fake phone numbers and wrong addresses in the manifest provided by transporters as a way of evading contact-tracing in the eventuality of exposure.
“This is not only a threat to the state government’s efforts at curtailing the spread of coronavirus, but jeopardises the health and safety of family members and indeed all Edo residents. It is even more unfortunate as the number of contacts to infected persons has continued to increase.”