The Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control [NCDC], Chikwe Ihekweazu, said some staff members of the centre had been infected with the coronavirus.

However, when asked to state the number of the affected workers, the DG of the NCDC refused to give the number.

He said,

“After work on Tuesday, I spoke with a number of people in my own team that had sadly become infected in the line of duty. I called them to encourage them but they ended up encouraging me and the PTF to continue pushing, that our work is important for the future of our country.”

“Although they are isolated and some of them in hospitals, they keep working, contributing to the response. They said it is better to do that than to sit idly watching television or thinking about their fate.”

The NCDC DG also said that he would not take issue with any governor on the number of persons infected in each state.

He stated that the only way to ascertain those who had the virus was to test them

. During one of the briefings this week, the DG of the NCDC had charged states with zero case to collect more samples from people in their states for test to be conducted.