COVID-19: Test results for Chinese medics not ready- FG

The Federal Government has said the test results for COVID-19 carried out on the 15-member Chinese medical team that came into the country a little over two weeks ago are not ready.

The Chinese medics, who came to offer technical support to Nigeria in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic, completed their mandatory 14-day quarantine on Wednesday after which their samples were taken for testing by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Adeleke Mamora, made this known in Abuja at the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

According to him, “For one reason or the other, we do not have the test results of the Chinese yet. I want to assure you that once we have the result of the tests, we will inform the country about the development.

“I will advise all Nigerians to be patient because the government is also anticipating the result of the tests in order to ensure that we protect the health and wellbeing of every citizen of the country.”

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, urged health workers to judiciously make us of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on the line of duty as more frontline workers are testing positive for the coronavirus and others are in quarantine.

“I wish to use this opportunity to applaud our frontline health workers in the COVID-19 pandemic. We salute your courage and patriotism, but I urge you to protect yourselves as prescribed and use the PPE judiciously. Do not attempt to treat COVID-19 patients without using adequate PPE, or if your institution is not accredited to do so.

“This is important because we need to keep health workers safe at such at time and cannot afford the numbers testing positive to COVID-19. Remain vigilant in the line of duty and maintain a high index of suspicion for COVID-19.