COVID-19: Nasarawa govt to begin community testing

The Nasarawa State Government said it will soon commence community testing to ascertain the level of COVID-19 prevalence in the state.

The Director, Public Health at the state Ministry of Health, Ibrahim Alhassan, disclosed this on Wednesday in Lafia when he led a delegation on an advocacy visit to the Chairman, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in the state, Aminu Maifata.

According to Mr Alhassan, the advocacy visit was aimed at informing and seeking partnership with ALGON toward a study targeted at ascertaining the level of COVID-19 prevalence in the state.

“The study would take place in 200 enumeration areas across the 13 local government areas of Nasarawa State.

“We came to seek partnership with you as the Chairman of all Local Government Chairmen in the state to enable us to carry out this assignment successfully.

“We expect you to inform other local government chairmen about this, so that, they will create awareness in their respective areas about this exercise,” the director said.

He further explained that the team would collect blood sample for assessment of malaria and COVID-19 prevalence, and nasal and throat swan from the people in enumeration areas.

He said the study would assist in knowing the prevalence of the virus as well as the challenges confronting the fight against it in the state.

Mr Alhassan, therefore, appealed that members of ALGON should assist the team with security in areas that were volatile and other logistic support to ensure a hitch-free exercise.

Responding, Mr Maifata, who is also the Chairman of Lafia Local Government, expressed gratitude to the ministry for the visit.

ALSO READ: Africa launches ‘genome’ lab to understand COVID-19

He said chairmen of local governments in the state would support any efforts aimed at improving the well being of their people as they promised during their electioneering campaigns.

He promised that they would create the necessary awareness and provide all logistics to ensure the success of the exercise.

The ALGON chairman appealed to members of the public to continue to adhere to COVID-19 protocols to help in defeating the virus in the country.