Coronavirus test: We are overlooking the most vulnerable ones - Niger governor
- Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger state has criticised the current testing method adopted by the NCDC
- The Niger state governor said the focus on a particular group of people to be those who are affected by coronavirus is wrong
- Bello said it is wrong to overlook the most vulnerable set of people to contact Covid-19 while placing focus on certain statuses and classes
The governor of Niger state, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has picked holes in the current method the NCDC is using to determine those to be tested for coronavirus.
The Nation reports that Governor Bello said on Sunday, March 29, that the focus on a particular group of people to be those who are affected by coronavirus is wrong.
He said Nigeria's efforts to contain the spread of the virus may not be fruitful if it continues to overlook the most vulnerable set of people to contact Covid-19 while placing focus on certain statuses and classes.
“We are overlooking the most vulnerable ones and are setting our radar and concentrating on certain status or class be it political, business or religious," the Niger state governor said.
Source: Twitter
The NCDC had highlighted two categories of people who are qualified for the Covid-19 test. The categories are those with a history of travel outside of Nigeria who present with fever, cough or difficulty breathing within 14 days of arrival and those who come in contact with a confirmed case who presents with these symptoms within 14 days of contact
However, there have been concerns that certain people with influence and privileges are being prioritised for testing, as also alleged by the Niger state governor.
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Earlier, Legit.ng reported that twenty-hours after Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna tested positive to coronavirus, the result of the test carried out on his colleague in Niger state, Governor Bello, had also come out.
Governor Bello's result came out on Sunday, March 29, negative to the virus that has hit the state and affected some top government officials.
A statement by Governor Bello's spokesperson, Mary Noel Berje, confirmed that he was free of the virus.
Berje said the governor asked all his aides to carry out similar tests to ascertain their statuses in relation to the virus.
The governor said this was necessary because he may have come in contact with some people who were later confirmed to have the virus better during one of the meetings of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and other official engagements.
Berje added that despite the result coming out negative, the governor has said he would continue to work from home since he is still on self-imposed isolation.
Governor Bello pleaded with the people of the state to focus on personal hygiene and other procedures that would help them against the virus and its spread.
Governor Bello had recently gone on self-isolation after possible exposure to some of Nigeria's confirmed coronavirus cases.
The governor took the decision to self-isolate following his presence at the Nigeria Governors’ Forum meeting which was held on Wednesday, March 18.
In another related report, Abba Kyari, the chief of staff to the president on Sunday, March 29, confirmed that he had tested positive for coronavirus.
Kyari in a statement published through the twitter handle of the presidency, @NGRPresident, said he was proceeding to Lagos on Sunday for further tests based on medical advice.
The chief of staff noted that he was feeling well and pointed out that he was yet to experience any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19.
Kyari said he had made personal arrangements to treat himself to avoid further burdening the public health system which faces so many pressures.
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Source: Legit.ng
