Medical staff responsible for collecting and tracing COVID-19 contacts have gone on a strike bringing testing to a halt.

The National Courier understands the staff have not been paid for more than four months despite the government pledging more than $5 million USD and handing over $3 million USD to the disbanded High Level Taskforce on COVID-19 Pandemic.

The NC understands also the staff are protesting appalling work conditions where they risk their lives daily with inadequate PPEs and sometimes non-compliant subjects.

The NC has been told the Public Health Laboratory (PHL) is still operating analysing previously collected samples.

Minister of Information Michael Makuei told VOA yesterday PHL was supposed to test his contacts for COVID-19 including his family members but they have not shown up yet. He did not say why.

Via The National Courier