The Bayelsa State Government said on Sunday that two suspected COVID-19 cases in the state had tested negative for the virus.

This was contained in a statement by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Orientation, Mr Freston Akpor, who is also a member of the state’s COVID-19 Task Force chaired by Governor Douye Diri.

The state had not recorded any confirmed case of the coronavirus infection.

The statement quoted the chairman of the task force implementation committee, Dr Inodu Apoku, as saying that the samples were collected from the suspects at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, and tested at the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Edo State on Monday.

Apoku, who did not mention the gender of the suspected cases, said the results were received on Thursday and the suspects had been discharged.

“Members of the public should remain vigilant and report anyone manifesting symptoms of the disease through the appropriate channels so that such persons can be screened,” he said.

Apoku, who is also the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health, said that there were plans to engage community volunteers to monitor persons coming into their neighbourhoods whose travel history might be suspicious.

He said the governor had displayed “exemplary leadership skills” in ensuring that the state remained coronavirus-free.