Niger govt debunks rumours of COVID-19 cases at NYSC camp
Published
The Niger State Government has debunked claims that some members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) tested positive for COVID-19 at the ongoing orientation camp in Paiko.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Muhammed Makusidi, who denied the widespread claims in a statement on Sunday said any suspected case was not allowed entrance into the camp but taken to Minna for PCR confirmation.
He maintained that once a case is confirmed positive, such a person is immediately admitted at the state isolation centre and treated.
“We wish to state that in line with the directives of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) all prospective corps members are screened at the camp’s gate using RDT kits.”
As of Wednesday, January 27, the country has recorded 126, 160 confirmed cases of the virus, with 24, 251 active cases and 1, 544 deaths.
While the country began to witness a second wave since November last year, the significant increase in cases and deaths in the last three weeks has raised concerns.
President Muhammadu Buhari had on Wednesday signed the COVID-19 Health Protections Regulations 2021 to ensure compliance to COVID-19 safety protocols.
The guidelines stated among others that those who contravened the provisions risk a fine or a term of six months imprisonment.
“An offence under these Regulations is punishable, under Section 5 of the Quarantine Act,” it said.
March 22, 2021 2:12 am
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This is as he also confirmed the existence of the new variant of the COVID-19 virus, first seen in the United Kingdom, in the country.
According to him, the effort to access and deploy vaccines is progressing and as already announced by COVAX, the initial 100,000 doses Nigeria is expecting will now arrive in the early weeks of February.
“We wish to assure all Nigerians that the vaccines will be safe and effective when eventually it is deployed. We enjoin everyone to join in the campaign to eliminate vaccine hesitancy.
“I have to however advise all Nigerians that the only source of vaccines that is safe and effective in Nigeria is through the channels of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). Please do not patronize any one hawking or marketing vaccines,” Mustapha said.