Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has disclosed that the state has recorded a third confirmed case of the COVID-19 and one death, saying the state is tracing about twenty contacts.

A statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Olisa Ifeajika, in Asaba, revealed that the governor declared during his address at the weekend that the sample of the case, which was taken to Irrua Specialist Hospital, Edo State tested positive for the virus.

His words, “A third case of the COVID-19 was confirmed in the state and the patient is already receiving attention in one of our facilities designated for that purpose. The patient is in stable condition and is responding to treatment from our team of medical professionals.

“In consonance with the rules and according to international best practices as enunciated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the state government urges Delta people, especially Christians to worship from their homes as the lockdown order is still in force.

“We thank the people of Delta for their support so far and urge them to continue to obey relevant instructions as it has become apparent that the virus is spreading in the state. We will continue to partner the Federal Government on effective implementation of its regulations on measures to curtail further spread of the virus in our state and country,” the governor added.

However, no fewer than 176 defaulters have been convicted, barely two days after unveiling mobile courts in the three senatorial districts of the state to prosecute offenders of stay-at-home directive to curtail the spread of coronavirus in the state.

Breakdown of the figure shows that in Asaba, 127 persons were arraigned, 89 sentenced and 38 discharged, 45 were arraigned, 14 discharged and 31 sentenced in Ughelli, while, in Warri, 71 persons were arraigned, 56 sentenced and 15 discharged.

Most of the convicts, who pleaded guilty with sundry alibi of going to purchase food items for their families and engaging in daily job to eke out a living, were fined between N500 and N3000.

The courts set up by the state Chief Judge (CJ), Justice Marshal Umukoro arraigned the defendants under the Delta State Infectious Disease (Emergency Prevention) Regulation 2020 punishable under section 5 of the Quarantine Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990, and Delta State Infectious Disease (Emergency Prevention) Regulation 2020 punishable under Section 203 of the Criminal Code Law, CAP C21, Laws of Delta State of Nigeria 2006.

The Guardian learnt that on one instance at the Ughellii Chief Magistrate’s Court one the convicts who pleaded guilty to the one count charge was among the 243 defendants arraigned before chief magistrates Odjugo Ena (Ughelli Magistrate Division), Helen Okonkwo (Asaba Magistrate Division) and Sohwo M. Edoja (Warri Magistrate Division) even as 67 were discharged.