18 corps members test positive for COVID-19 in Niger

The Niger government says 18 corps members posted to the state have tested positive for COVID-19.

Sani Idris, the state commissioner of information, broke the news at a briefing in Minna, the state capital, on Wednesday.

According to Idris, the health ministry in the state conducted a routine test on all corps members and discovered that 18 of them had contracted the novel disease.

The commissioner said the affected corps members have been quarantined in an isolation centre at the General Hospital in Minna.

Idris said the state government has already reactivated its task force on COVID-19 to ensure strict compliance with all measures put in place to prevent the spread of the killer virus.

The commissioner also said Abubakar Bello, the state governor, has directed public and government offices not to grant access to anyone not wearing face mask.

“All heads of ministries, department and agencies (MDAs) have been directed to provide hand washing equipment in their ministries,” the commissioner said.

“Also, Government House was also directed to ensure nobody is allowed in without face mask.”

The development comes hours after the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) reacted to a claim that 109 prospective corps members tested positive for the virus at its various orientation camps.

“Management hereby restates that there is no COVID-19 positive corps member in any of the 37 NYSC orientation Camps nationwide,” it had said.

“…there is no red alert in NYSC orientation camps, as all corps members, as well as camp officials admitted in the camps are COVID-19 negative.”