You are here: HomeEntertainment2020 04 23Article 354667

General News of Thursday, 23 April 2020

Source: www.mynigeria.com

Chinese doctors to be tested for COVID-19 - Health Minister

Ehanire Osagie Ehanire Osagie

The Minister of Health, Ehanire Osagie has said the 15 Chinese doctors will be tested today just two weeks since their arrival in Nigeria.

The Minister disclosed this while speaking at a press briefing organized by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja.

Ehanire also spoke on the next line of action now that the virus has gotten to the level of community transmission.

“I was reminded that the people who came from China had spent 14 days in quarantine and I ordered that the test be done. The COVID-19 test swabs are to be taken tomorrow and the test will be done to finalise if any of them has any infection.”

He also spoke on the testing which was halted in Kano State: “As for the testing in Kano, there was a report that they had reduced availability of reagents and they were supplied that.

“In addition to that, there was a temporary halt in activities because some of the work persons in the laboratory got infected and the laboratory had to be shut down for decontamination, which was just temporary. With regard to supplies of reagents, they had been replenished. They now have personal protective equipment (PPE) and reagents.

“The role of primary health care is very important in this exercise in the sense that now we are in the community transmission phase. We have passed that era when people used to think that the coronavirus infection was something for rich people who came from abroad.

“Now that it has gotten to the community transmission level, it is really down to the grassroots, and the role of the primary health care comes into play. It is very important for them to be able to do surveillance and raise the index of suspicion.

“We are doing targeted testing, and right now, cluster testing has been very helpful in being able to identify places; that’s why you see so many of them now being discovered in the Lagos area and also in Abuja.”