Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation/CNL Joint Venture (NNPC/CNL JV), has insisted that none of its employees has tested positive for the coronavirus infection.
It said it continued to operate safely and without any Coronavirus (COVID-19) related incident in its operations.
CNL’s General Manager, Policy, Government and Public Affairs, Esimaje Brikinn, while reacting to speculations that CNL quarantined some of its staff suspected of having the Coronavirus in a hotel in Warri, Delta state, affirmed that none of CNL’s employees has contracted the COVID-19.
In a statement on Thursday, he said that based on the Coronavirus directive issued by the Federal Government regarding sustained operations in the oil and gas industry, CNL arranged with some hotels and other facilities in Warri and Lagos where their staff on rotational duties would be accommodated and their health status monitored to ensure that they do not have the COVID-19 virus before returning to work at its Escravos Operations.
CNL said it has also introduced a compulsory two-week supervised quarantine for all personnel returning to work at its Escravos Operations during this period of the pandemic as a precautionary measure against COVID-19.
Brikinn added that the precautionary safeguard enables CNL to provide a controlled environment for very close monitoring of the personnel during the period of the supervised quarantine.
He added that in order to make this safeguard effective, all personnel will first be required to provide a comprehensive travel history before they are placed in the supervised quarantine.
According to him, the first group of personnel scheduled for quarantine were moved to the designated facilities on Friday, April 10, 2020 and other groups will follow based on the crew change schedule.
He said the personnel will be required to strictly maintain social distancing protocols, personal hygiene, and use of appropriate personal protective equipment during the supervised quarantine period.
“We are also working with the hotels and other facilities where the personnel will be placed, to ensure that the hotels and facilities maintain high levels of sanitation and follow strict adherence to all COVID-19 protocols,” he said.
Esimaje said after two weeks, only those who are certified free of the COVID-19 virus shall be moved to Escravos and that anyone with suspected symptoms during the period will be subjected to further testing and subsequently transferred to government-designated hospitals for further handling in line with the government approved protocols.
It will be recalled that Nigeria reported 34 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, April 15, taking the total of confirmed cases to 407 nationwide.
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 128 patients have been discharged with 12 deaths recorded.
