‘No record of COVID-19 in Abia camp’

Abia Government has desnied any record of confirmed COVID-19 case in the state National youth Service (NYSC) camp.

Commissioner for Information,  Chief John Okiyi Kalu, who briefed newsmen in Umuahia on the erroneous impression regarding Corps members that recently passed out from the state orientation camp at Igbere, Bende LGA, said government was satisfied with the prevention and control measures put in place by the NYSC management at the camp.

Chief Kalusaid Corps members and visitors to the camp were subjected to COVID-19 test and made to comply with necessary protocols right from the gate of the camp using the Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kit, adding that out of the six positive RDT results who were immediately moved to the Abia State Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre, Amachara, for confirmation tests, five returned positive PCR results and were subsequently isolated and managed with four already discharged in line with NCDC protocols. However, one is still being managed at the isolation center.

He noted that at no time were the six Corps members with positive RDT results allowed to enter the camp. He further gave the breakdown of the tests conducted at the camp as 1,181 RDT tests comprising 973 Corp members and 208 non Corp members with 6 Positive results and 5 PCR confirmation.