Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Monday said bodies of persons, who died of  coronavirus, were not infectious.

National Coordinator of the task force, Mr Sani Aliyu, stated this at a media briefing of the PTF in Abuja.

He stated that NCDC guidelines for COVID-19 were reflective of the World Health Organisation’s  guidelines.

Aliyu said, “I would like to further clarify the issue of COVID-19 and burial processes. Contrary to what is on social media, the late chief of staff’s body was properly prepared for burial, according to NCDC guidelines and the Islamic faith.

“The bodies of persons with COVID-19,  as stated by the WHO guidelines and I quote, ‘Except in cases of viral haemorrhagic fever and cholera, dead bodies are generally not infectious.’

“To date, there is no evidence of persons having become infected from exposure to the bodies of persons who have died of  COVID-19.’”

This new position is contrary to the impression created earlier by Minister of Information, Mr Lai Mohammed, that Covid-19 corpses would not be released to family members by the Federal Government to guide against further infections as the corpses were infectious.

Punch