Cross River residents bribed to claim COVID-19 positive, 50 test kits only from NCDC

<!– Betta Edu: alleges people in Cross River state being offered bribes to claim they are COVID-19 positive –>

Betta Edu: alleges people in Cross River state being offered bribes to claim they are COVID-19 positive

Dr. Betta Edu, commissioner for health in Cross River State said some people in her state have received text messages to claim they are COVID-19 positive.

Edu, who is also the Chairman, COVID-19 task force team described the trend as worrisome.

In an interview on TVC Thursday night, she said the state is probing the source of the messages.

Recipients of the messages were promised some monetary inducements to claims COVID-19 status.

Cross River is the only state in southern Nigeria without a single case of the virus.

And Betta Edu vowed that the state wants to keep the status.

On Wednesday, she appealed to the Federal authorities for more kits and funds.

Up till date, the state has received only 50 test kits from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

That, she said, is grossly inadequate for the 4.5million people in the state.

According to her, with the release of funds and more test kits, samples will be taken across the state.

They will then be sent to Irrua Teaching Hospital in Edo State for laboratory testing.

She also said the NCDC staff that are expected in the state to commence collection of samples would be quarantined for 14 days.

She noted that the state was more interested in the prevention of the virus than its management.

“As a state, we have shut down borders and all land entrances to prevent the spread of the virus. It is not compulsory that all states will be affected.

“The state government is doing all it can to ensure that it remains COVID-19 free. The no mask, no movement policy had helped a lot in achieving the fight against the pandemic,” she said.

On Thursday, First Bank and Olam Farms supported the state with cash and materials.

First Bank donated N30m to the state, while Olam brought 5,000 facemasks, 1,000 bottles of hand sanitisers and 3,200 cartons of noodles.