Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El Rufai has said that his administration is deploying improved testing capacity and other public health measures as part of its strategy for the safe reopening of Kaduna State.
The governor stated this while formally receiving Wellness-on-Wheels, a mobile testing vehicle deployed by USAID to support the state’s Covid-19 containment efforts.
In a statement issued by Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Mr Muyiwa Adekeye on Thursday, El Rufai further said that ‘’the ongoing FORWARD campaign of the state government which encourages personal responsibility by citizens is the most sustainable Covid-19 prevention strategy.’’
Governor El Rufai who expressed gratitude to USAID and KNCV for their contribution to the fight against the spread of COVID-19, ‘’disclosed that the mobile testing vehicle is already helping to improve the state’s capacity for testing in communities.’’
El-Rufai also revealed that ‘’Kaduna State has already imported 9,800 Covid-19 test kits for the GeneXpert machine, the type installed in the mobile testing vehicle. ‘’
The governor further explained that the state is seeking to acquire 40,000 more test kits to meet its target of 50,000 tests.
According to him, Kaduna state ‘’ already has eight GeneXpert machines in its facilities. The state is making efforts to further expand testing capacity by providing one GeneXpert machine in every LGA with complementary equipment such as Level 2 biosafety cabinet, sample refrigerators and reagent refrigerators.’’
El-Rufai stated that the expanded testing capacity is complementing government’s efforts to safely reopen the state, noting that ‘’more businesses are opening in compliance with safety protocols while people in the informal sector are continuing their pursuit of livelihoods. ‘’
‘’This significant easing of the lockdown has made less pressing the need for palliatives for citizens that the lockdown had rendered unable to pursue livelihoods.
‘’ With this development, the state government has decided that it does not require further donations by public servants, effective June 2020,’’ the statement added.
