Bayelsa: Governor tests negative to COVID-19

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri yesterday tested negative for the Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19), ending all speculations and anxiety over his health status.

The Acting Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said in a statement that the result of the test was obtained yesterday from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)-accredited laboratory at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Edo State.

“The result showed that Governor Douye Diri had no evidence of COVID-19 infection,” he noted in the statement, even as the officials of the Epidemiology Unit of the state Ministry of Health led by the State Epidemiologist, Ifiemi Iwuji, had on Wednesday conducted the test and the samples sent to the Irrua Specialist Hospital for laboratory analysis.

“Before the governor opted to do the test, he had been inundated with phone calls and messages following speculations on the social media that he might have been infected. This was fuelled by his sitting next to a governor from one of the North East states, who later tested positive for the virus at the last National Economic Council (NEC) meeting at the State House, Abuja on March 19.

The information about the governor’s clean bill of health was said to have thrown the people of the state into wide jubilation, while some people described the result of the test as yet another miracle for the man who has been christened the “Miracle Governor.”

On his part, Governor Diri expressed gratitude to Nigerians and particularly the people of Bayelsa State for their concern, love and good wishes toward him and his family.

He also prayed for a reversal and healing for those that had been infected by the pandemic, saying: “I had to take the test so as to douse the tension and end all the speculations. Besides, I needed to know my status concerning the COVID-19. I am, therefore, thankful to God that the result was negative as I anticipated.”

Diri, who said his administration, would continue to take appropriate measures to prevent the spread of the disease in the state, added: “I also thank Nigerians and the people of Bayelsa State all over the world for their concern, love and prayers. I pray for everyone that has been infected by this disease to be healed.”

As part of these measures, civil servants on Grade Level 1 to 12 have been directed to stay at home for two weeks with effect from yesterday, March 26, even as all public and private primary and secondary schools in the state had been shut down.

The state government had also suspended for two weeks burial and wedding ceremonies, while the number of persons at worship centres and public gatherings has been reduced to not more than 20, while the restriction order also affected night clubs and drinking bars across the state.