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The Plateau State government has explained the reason for the rise in coronavirus cases in the state.
Although it recorded no new cases from update by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Plateau has in recently witness a spike in infections and now ranks 4th among the 36 states of the country with 2,708 cases.
Speaking with newsmen in Jos, the Plateau State capital on Thursday, Dan Manjang, Commissioner for Information and Communication, said it was due to high level of community testing recently embarked upon by the state government.
“There is an increase in community testing for the disease as Plateau State has three testing centres now. Testing is now ongoing in many communities in the state, which is being fully supported by traditional rulers,” said Majang.
“The governor has also directed all civil servants in the state to go on compulsory COVID-19 test as it has earmarked N11 billion in its revised 2020 budget to tackle the pandemic.”
The Commissioner, however, assured civil servants that Governor Simon Lalong’s administration would sustain the payment of their salaries as well as payment of pension despite the economic challenges.
“When we talk about payment of salary, some people say it is not an achievement and I ask; if payment of salary is not an achievement, what is lack of payment of salary that was witnessed during the previous administration.
“We have continued to pay salary as at when due including the seven to nine months of salary arrears inherited from the previous administration.
“We were about to pay the new minimum wage when COVID-19 pandemic broke out.
“We suspended it in collaboration with labour and we will resume when the situation improves.”
Meanwhile, according to NCDC update, total COVID-19 cases in Nigeria is now 54,587, while total recovery rose to 42,627 and 1,048 have died of the virus disease.
