Plateau State Governor, Simon Bako Lalong, and members of his family have tested negative for the coronavirus disease after carrying out the test.
A statement by his Director of Press, Dr. Simon Macham, said: “The samples of the governor and members of his family were taken two days ago by health officials and forwarded to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) laboratory in Abuja for examination.
“The results came back today, 9th April 2020 and indicated negative for the governor and members of his family.”
Reacting to the results, Lalong said he and his family decided to take the test in order to help in tackling the rising stigma that is gradually building upon the disease and making people reluctant of coming out even when they notice any symptoms.
He said: “Coronavirus is not a death sentence and if we are not careful, people can die out of fear and stigma. I call on all our citizens particularly those who notice any symptoms of the disease including difficulty in breathing, fever, cough, sore throat, headache, and general fatigue, or have had contact with an infected person to report to health officials and submit themselves for examination.”
He said the state government has continued to take proactive measures including a one-week total lockdown beginning midnight Thursday 9th April to prevent movements that could expose the state to the disease.
Lalong also assured the people of the state that the NCDC has already approved the establishment of a coronavirus testing centre in the state which will take off very soon and reduce the challenges associated with the shuttle to Abuja for testing.
Source: THISDAY
