Kaduna Gov, El-Rufai Speaks On COVID-19 Status Of 167 Almajiris From Kano

Kaduna State governor, Nasir El Rufai, on Saturday said the state might witness a spike in number of almajiri with COVID-19 infection.

The governor said this is because the state has completed COVID-19 testing for 167 Kano Almajiris in the state.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai disclosed this in situation report via a series of tweets on his official twitter page

He stated that the number of positive cases from the 167 Kano Amajiris may rise beyond the 21 recorded before.

Also read: COVID-19: 16 Kano Almajiri Returnees Test Positive In Kaduna

He wrote: “Commissioner of Health Dr. @AMBaloni has confirmed that as of 1 May 2020, Kaduna State has 28 active COVID-19 cases. The state awaits receipt of more results from the 350 tests it has conducted.

“Testing of 167 Almajiris from Kano has been completed, and the number of positive cases from this group may rise beyond the 21 recorded before we completed testing this category of persons”

The governor also gave a lowdown of COVID-19 in the state, saying one of the three new cases that increased the COVID-19 toll in the state has died.

He disclosed that the deceased, a male retired civil servant, had preexisting medical issues and also hid his recent travel to Kano when he visited private and public hospital in Kaduna, hence jeopardising the safety of the health workers in the medical facilities he went to.

Also Read: [VIDEO] Panic As Four Families Test Positive For COVID-19 In Lagos

The governor explained “The three patients that increased the number from 25 to 28 cases include two males and the first female COVID-19 case in the state. The female patient is a health worker who is not involved in the treatment of COVID-19 cases.

“One of the two males was a retired civil servant male with underlying medical conditions, who concealed his recent travel to Kano when he visited a public hospital and a private hospital in Kaduna State.

“He died before his positive test result was released. He is the first COVID-19 fatality in Kaduna State. His family has been informed of his demise, and he has since been buried according to the burial protocol of the NCDC”

In light of this development, the state health officials had begun the disinfection process of the two hospitals the deceased visited.

“Following this development, state health officials are decontaminating the two hospitals that the deceased visited. Staff who attended to him have been isolated, as have his family members.

“The Ministry, therefore, appeals to citizens who suspect that they have been exposed to COVID-19 to avoid infecting others. Rather, they should follow the safety protocol of isolating themselves at home while contacting health officials.

“Concealing relevant information and engaging in conduct that exposes others to the risk of infection is a danger to the community and the well-being and lives of other citizens. Such conduct contravenes the provisions of the Quarantine Orders and could lead to prosecution.”

Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria as of today is 2,170, according to the NCDC.