Source:
https://africa21digital.com/2020/04...s-em-sao-tome-deram-negativo-em-novos-testes/
Four cases identified in S?o Tom? were negative in new tests
The Sao Tome prime minister announced that the four cases that tested positive for infection with the new coronavirus, at the beginning of last week, have now had negative results in a new test, carried out in a laboratory in Equatorial Guinea.
Digital Africa 21 with Lusa
These four cases, which had tested positive after tests carried out in Gabon, are part of a batch of 80 samples sent by the Government of S?o Tom? and Pr?ncipe to Equatorial Guinea, of which 79 have now given a negative result, with an inconclusive test and that “ needs repetition ”.
"I inform you that the four cases previously confirmed in the Franceville laboratory [Gabon] have been repeated and are part of this batch", explained the head of Government, Jorge Bom Jesus, in a statement to the press.
These four were, until now, the only cases identified in the country as positive.
The Prime Minister also announced that, despite this result, his Government sent the President of the Republic, Evaristo Carvalho, “a request” for a further extension of the state of emergency for another 15 days.
Bom Jesus justified the request with “the fact that many actions have not been completed to guarantee consistent and effective responses to a pandemic that continues to evolve in our sub-region”.
The state of emergency ended Friday.
The Minister of Health, Edgar Neves, said, for his part, that, having the results been negative, the four citizens leave the mandatory quarantine to which they were submitted during the last three weeks, being able to "make their life normal".
“Even because there is no reason to keep them in quarantine, for moral and psychological reasons,” explained Edgar Neves.
The Sao Tome prime minister underlined that "a field hospital is being set up", with a capacity for 100 beds, donated by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The government official also mentioned that, as part of the program to prevent the spread of the covid-19 pandemic in S?o Tom? and Pr?ncipe, his government bought 3,000 rapid tests, ventilators, oxygen concentrators, reserve cylinders, protective materials, consumables and medicines several, and that “are in Portugal awaiting confirmation of shipment”.
The executive also completed the installation of an isolation center in the Autonomous Region of Pr?ncipe.
On the other hand, the WHO sent a specialist from Equatorial Guinea to S?o Tom? to set up the laboratory and the Cuban epidemiologist is expected to arrive in the capital of the country within the next few days, who “is already in Luanda” .
Despite the results made in Equatorial Guinea being practically all negative, the Government says that it will continue with the program of “deconcentration of the population and social distance and sanitation from the center of the country's capital”.
"The Government will continue to base its actions on the basis of responsibility, firmness, a spirit of national cohesion and safeguarding the superior interests of the people of S?o Tom? and Pr?ncipe", said the minister.
The head of the executive guarantees that “no act, behavior that violates social peace or taking advantage of the country's fragile political, social, economic and financial situation will be tolerated” ...
