The National Taskforce on Coronavirus has revealed that some senior government officials have been obtaining the Coronavirus negative certificate for traveling outside the country.

“We’ve found out that some officials, once they find that there are many people at a test center, they go to the laboratory and get a test certificate without getting tested,” Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi, cum taskforce chairperson, told SSBC on Tuesday.

The remarks come after the minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation tested positive for Covid-19 in Doha, forcing the presidential advance team to undergo quarantine in Qatar.

This also led to postponement of President Salva Kiir’s planned first ever visit to the gulf nation.

As a result of such a behavior among government officials, VP Abdelbagi issued an order barring any leader who does not get tested for the virus from leaving the country.

“This is wrong. I want to inform all constitutional post holders that if any one of you want to travel without an authentic certificate, we will block you from travelling,” he warned.

Abdelbagi also warned any laboratory that issue fake test result of serious consequences:

Adelbagi added: “We will be able to trace the laboratory they took their test results from to enable us to hold them accountable.”

Early this year, an Eye Radio investigation challenged the credibility of some test results issued to travelers.