The Bayelsa State COVID-19 Task Force has said out of the 140 samples of blood sent to the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, between March and April 20, 137 returned negative for coronavirus while three samples were rejected.

Chairman of the task force, Dr Inodu Apoku, disclosed this during a press briefing in Yenagoa, on Monday.

Apoku, who is also the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, further said over 2,000 persons had so far been screened at the various entry points into the state and “none has so far presented any significant symptoms of concern.”

He said that surveillance was being mounted around the local government areas of the state.

According to him, the state government was also working to set up a COVID-19 reference laboratory in the state.

Apoku said the state task force had also instituted the local government task force to coordinate the community mobilisation and enlightenment campaigns in the rural and riverine communities.

Speaking on the state’s level of preparedness, he said, “Currently, the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital has a ready-to-use six-bed isolation facility.”