Two aides to Abia state governor Okezie Ikpeazu tested positive for coronavirus after their samples were taken on Saturday, but the governor and his family all tested negative.
Ikpeazu said in a statement, “Leading this battle from the front as your Governor, I and all members of the first family subjected ourselves to COVID-19 tests on Saturday, 30th May, 2020 and the results came out negative today.
“Unfortunately, results of two of my aides who also subjected themselves to COVID-19 tests were positive while others turned in negative results. We are confident that within days, the currently asymptomatic positive patients who are now isolated will be successfully nursed back to good health, with God on our side,” he said.
The state is to begin mass testing of residents to achieve at least “10% coverage of our population at the initial stage of the exercise,” the governor announced.
State epidemiologists will work to search for cases of the virus using by testing population sizes of between 30 and 250 people per sample in local government areas considered to be densely populated, the governor said.
”Meanwhile, we cannot win and save lives as long as we continue to stigmatize our patients. If any person contracts COVID-19, it will be saddening but it is neither criminal nor is it necessarily the person’s fault. Let me put it on record that statistics show that far more people recover from the virus than those who pass away from it”, he said.
Ikpeazu has directed that all cabinet members be tested.
A new directive requires transition-committee chairmen across all 17 local government areas to present themselves for testing and thereafter isolate pending the outcome of tests.
“I urge all citizens and residents to eschew rumour mongering and get involved in the battle against COVID-19. Take responsibility because Abia is ready to win this battle with all hands on deck,” the governor said.
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