The Bayelsa State Taskforce on COVID-19 has disclosed the results of 140 blood samples sent to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) approved laboratory in Edo.
The state taskforce said all samples came back negative.
Our correspondent reports that the Co-Chairman of the state’s taskforce on COVID-19, Dr. Inodu Apoku made the disclosure at a news conference in Yenagoa, the state’s capital on Monday.
He said the samples were taken between March and April.
According to him, surveillance was ongoing in the eight Local Government Areas of the state.
Apoku, who is also the Permanent Secretary in the state’s Ministry of Health, announced that the state government was working to set up a COVID-19 reference laboratory in the state.
He noted that over 200 persons who had been screened at the point of entry into the state had not shown any significant symptoms of concerns regarding coronavirus.
He said the task force had also formed the local government taskforce in all the eight local governments of the state to handle community mobilisation and enlightenment campaigns in rural and riverine communities.
“Currently, the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital is ready to use 6-bed isolation facility, however, they have earmarked some additional wards that can be converted to an isolation facility if the need arises.
“These additional facilities can accommodate other 100-bed isolation capabilities.
“The Federal Medical Centre has also established a 22-bed isolation facility in Yenagoa, while the state government has identified a facility within Bayelsa Medical University to be used as an isolation facility, and can accommodate a 100-bed.
“We have trained Patent Medicine Vendors and Community Pharmacists on case finding and surveillance, as well as volunteers in all villages for the active search for persons with symptoms of coronavirus,” he said