The Rector for St. Francis Xavior Minor Seminary, Rev. Pamphilio Konpugbu Tengan has stated that two of his students have tested positive for Coronavirus.

Statement

"Dear Parents and Guardians of St. Francis Xavier Minor Seminary, I wish to communicate to you developments in the Minor Seminary since the night of Monday, 18th January, 2021. One student complained of ill health and Fr. Naaderi Martin sent him to the Municipal Hospital for treatment. He returned to the Seminary with the boy that night. However, in the evening of Tuesday, a team from the Municipal Health Directorate came to inform us that the student tested positive for COVID-19 and they were in the school to send the student to the Regional isolation centre.

This morning, another student was sent to the hospital by the Rector. He also tested positive for COVID-19 and has been isolated. The affected students are from two different locations, Hamile and Wa.

As a result of this, a meeting was held with the Deputy Regional Director of Public Health and the Diocesan Executive Secretary for health. The team after the meeting met the students to inform them of the situation of COVID-19 in our Seminary and to assure them of the support of the health authorities in dealing with the development. 

In order not to conduct tests prematurely, it was agreed to separate the students who were in contact with the students who tested positive from the rest of the student body. They will be accommodated and looked after on their own. If any one of them shows signs of infection, then the person will be tested immediately. If not, the group will be tested by the weekend. A quick negative test result could be deceptive, so the team advised us to wait a bit before the tests are conducted. The hospital does not have enough reagents for mass testing now, if not we would have advocated testing of all in the Seminary. Students must stay on campus so that we try to stem the spread. They cannot be allowed to go home and spread it.

Rev. Pamphilio Konpugbu Tengan

Rector."