AS the National Youth Service Corps scheme resumes orientation camp nationwide, seven prospective corps member have tested positive for COVID-19.
According to reports, in the Federal Capital Territory Orientation Camp, five of the prospective corps members were tested positive and handed over to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Walida Isa, the Coordinator, NYSC, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) said this during the swearing-in of the 2020 Batch `B’ Stream 1 corps members on Monday in Abuja.
She said that 858 corps members were tested for COVID- 19 and out of the number, five of them were positive.
“The five that were positive were taken to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for treatment. So they are not among the number we registered,’’ said Isa.
Credit: File photo
Also, Hajiya Aisha Tata, the Coordinator of the scheme in Kano State while speaking with journalists after the induction of the 2020 Batch ‘B’ Stream A corps members, said two prospective corps members tested positive.
However, in a reaction to the reports, the NYSC National Director of Press & Public Relations, Adenike Adeyemi told The ICIR that the reports are ‘misrepresentation of the fact’.
“Corps members were asked to come with camp, and they would be tested, so they are all tested and anyone that needs further test is taken for a further confirmatory test. No positive case on any of the orientation camp nationwide.
“They may be talking about those who were sent for further confirmative test, they are not yet confirmed positive yet,” Adeyemi said.
She stated that according to guidelines, corps members are all tested before allowed to gain entrance into the orientation camps.
“As we speak, there is no positive case on the NYSC camp and this is important so that parents’ minds can be at ease and they would not assume or imagine that some corps members are tested positive and some are there mingling with them. We do not have that kind of situation,” she added.
The NYSC orientation camp was closed nationwide earlier in March due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94