Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The result of COVID-19 tests carried on the Abia First family, members of the state executive council and members of the state Inter-Ministerial Committee is out, with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and members of his immediate family reportedly testing negative.
A government press release said while Governor Ikpeazu and members of his immediate family tested negative, the result of two of his aides, whose names were not given, returned positive.
The government hoped that the two aides who tested positive and are now into isolation would be nursed back to normal life.
The governor had, following the result of tests conducted on the immediate family members of a late commissioner, directed all state exco members and others who had come in contact with the late commissioner, suspected to have died of COVID-19, to go for compulsory coronavirus test.
With the new development, according to the release, Governor Ikpeazu has directed all local government transition committee chairmen and their deputies to go for COVID-19 testing and isolate themselves for two weeks.
The governor stated that the state would embark on a massive test of its citizens to achieve at least 10 per cent coverage.
He subsequently directed the state epidemiologist to work out modalities for case searches using a sample population size of between 30 to 250 persons in some densely populated council areas.
The governor warned against the stigmatisation of COVID-19 patients, saying the disease was not a death sentence.