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From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Niger government has confirmed 18 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme posted to the state have tested positive for COVID-19.
Commissioner of Information, Sani Idris, who disclosed this at a press conference, yesterday, in Minna, said the 18 cases came after a routine test conducted by the state Ministry of Health on corps members posted to the state.
Idris said the affected corps members have been quarantined at an isolation centre at Minna General Hospital.
He said in response to new cases, the state government had to resuscitate the Taskforce on COVID-19, stressing that all protocols such as wearing of face masks, washing of hands, among others, must be obeyed by residents.
Meanwhile, management of Stella Obasanjo Hospital, Benin has discharged 15 of the 17 corps members posted to Edo State, who tested positive.
A source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the remaining three were responding to treatment and would be discharged as soon as they test negative for the dreaded disease.
A statement by the state coordinator of the scheme, Mrs. Abiodun Olubukola, in Benin, yesterday, said prospective corps members and visitors who reported at the orientation camp were properly tested by National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) officials and that those who tested positive were immediately handed over to the NCDC surveillance team on camp for further tests and treatment.
Olubukola said the prospective corps members were not registered in camp, but would be registered after negative confirmation of COVID-19 by the NCDC.
She dismissed the fear that there were COVID-19 positive corps member on camp, saying the confirmation of this fact is the satisfactory acknowledgement of the NYSC Edo camp by the World Health Organization (WHO) officials who visited the Camp on Tuesday, August 3, 2021.
“This is to further reiterate that there is no COVID-19 positive corps member on camp. The welfare and security of corps members is a major policy thrust of the NYSC Director General, Brg. Gen. S. Ibrahim who ensures adherence to COVID-19 protocols and observance of all non- pharmaceutical interventions.”
