NIGERIANS have expressed fears following confirmation by the Presidential Taskforce on COVID19 on Tuesday that some incoming air travellers presented fake COVID- 19 test certificates and that about 40 per cent of arriving passengers tested positive for the virus.The Director General of the Nigerian Institute for Medical Research ( NIMR), Yaba, Lagos, Prof. Babatunde Salako, told The Guardian if the situation was not well monitored, there might be “emergence of fake certificates akin to the yellow card saga.”
He expressed the need for government institutions to be allowed to conduct tests for travellers under a publicprivate arrangement to ensure that regions without private laboratories would not suffer. “We need to review the policy around travel and COVID19 test,” he suggested.
But the NCDC, yesterday, moved to douse the tension, assuring Nigerians that the agency, in conjunction with the PTF on COVID- 19 and other stakeholders, were striving to prevent resurgence of coronavirus cases due to the resumption of international flights.
He, however, refused to comment on concerns about fake COVID- 19 test certificates.
Ihekweazu, who is also an epidemiologist, told The Guardian: “Firstly, there is no data to show that 40 per cent of travellers that returned since the resumption of international travel have COVID- 19. This is simply wrong.
“The PTF- COVID- 19 has made the repeat test in Nigeria mandatory to reduce the risk of spike in cases as we resume international flights. The international travel portal, which we have developed, is to enable us to track the number of travellers into the country and ensure the required tests and follow- up are carried out.
“It is very important everyone coming into Nigeria adheres to the measures in place so we can all protect ourselves and prevent influx of COVID- 19 cases in Nigeria.”
The National Coordinator, PTF- COVID- 19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, had at an interactive session with the Joint Senate Committees on Health and Aviation, on Tuesday, claimed that international travellers from some countries had been presenting fake Polymerase Chain Reaction ( PCR) results on their COVID- 19 status to enter Nigeria.
Aliyu, who is also a former Director General of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS ( NACA), complained that some passengers presented negative COVID- 19 PCR results but later tested positive for the disease. He said test results presented by the passengers couldn’t be trusted.
The Centre noted: “This report is simply incorrect and based on information that is inconsistent with the truth. In addition, no attempt was made to contact the NCDC on this matter before the newspaper went to press. This article is an unfortunate misrepresentation of efforts by government ministries and agencies, to enable safe travel in the context of pandemic affecting every country in the world.
source: MedicalWorldNigeria
